A DRIVER from Warwickshire who tried to avoid a speeding ticket by claiming his car had been cloned has been landed with a suspended prison sentence and a criminal record.
The 39 year old went to great lengths to avoid accepting the offence by failing to provide information relating to the identity of the driver when asked, and modifying his car with stickers and arguing it was not the one photographed by a speed camera.
He also produced a fake invoice, showing an earlier date to back up his story that the stickers were put on his car before the offence.
At Warwick Crown Court, he was sentenced to eight months imprisonment suspended for 12 months for perverting the course of justice, and six points for failing to provide information relating to the identity of the driver. He will be supervised for the next 12 months and must comply with a 15 day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement.
Insp Dave Valente from Warwickshire Road Safety Unit said: “Please take note of this case, and do not be tempted to provide false details when you receive a speeding ticket.
“As this driver has discovered, Perverting the Course of Justice is a serious offence leading to a criminal record, and in most cases a Crown Court prison sentence.
“Someone who conspires with a speeding motorist to take points on their behalf, also falls under the offence of perverting the course of justice.
“That offer of an education course or a fine for excess speed doesn’t seem so bad now, does it?
“Speed is a factor in more than 50 per cent of fatal collisions. Discouraging people from speeding, and catching motorists that choose to speed, is about preventing collisions and saving lives, nothing else.”
