Speeding driver risked prison by lying to police
Generic images from Sussex Police
A driver narrowly escaped jail after lying to police about a speeding offence.
David Mitchell was given an eight-month prison sentence suspended for two years and ordered to do 300 hours of unpaid work by a judge at Hove Crown Court.
He was also banned from the road for six months and ordered to pay court costs of £1,200 within 60 days.
At an earlier hearing Mitchell, of Caroline Way, pleaded guilty to carrying out acts to pervert the course of public justice.
The court heard that on December 26 2011, Mitchell’s car activated a speed camera operated by the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership at around 3.45pm in Langney Rise, Eastbourne.
After receiving a speeding notice Mitchell responded by saying that it was not his vehicle and alleged it had been cloned by someone who had fitted his number plates to another car. He supplied pictures of his car to be compared to the vehicle that had activated the camera.
Enquiries carried out by the Safety Camera Enquiry Team and East Sussex CID revealed that Mitchell had paid for another set of number plates, displaying the registration of his car which had been seen on the speed camera, to be made.
The plates were requested on January 26 2012, after the offence had taken place, but before he had responded to the speed notice claiming his car had been cloned.
Mitchell was arrested on April 28 2012, and charged on August 29 2012, with committing an act or series of acts with intent to pervert the course of public justice.
Chief Inspector Phil Nicholas of the Sussex Police Road Policing Unit said, “This sentence is the result of a lot of hard work by the camera enforcement team and CID officers.
“Mitchell tried to deceive us into believing that his car had been cloned to avoid a fine and points on his licence as a result of speeding. Instead he has been convicted of the serious criminal offence of perverting the course of justice and been given a suspended prison sentence as a result.
“I hope this sentence sends a clear message to others to think twice about the consequences of their actions.”
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Friday 24 May 2013
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