A DOPEY driver caught speeding has been jailed for nominating another man as the offender – even though he had been DEAD for months.
Sheep farmer Andrew Evans, aged 48, tried to pull the wool over the eyes of police by nominating his neighbour Ben Hughes as the man behind the wheel.
He even claimed he handed over the keys to his Skoda days before he was clocked by a camera in a busy city street.
But officers found that Mr Hughes had passed away four and a half months before the offence, Plymouth Crown Court heard.
Evans not only filled in a form naming his neighbour but stuck to his story in police interview.
Jailing him for six weeks, Recorder Stephen Parish said: "It is very sad to see you in this position. Offences such as this strike at the very heart of the criminal justice system.
"Except in very exceptional circumstances, a custodial sentence must follow."
The judge said that Evans was given every chance in his interview to tell the truth – but instead "dug himself deeper and deeper".
Evans, of Ludlow in Shropshire, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice in April and May of last year.
Nigel Hall, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said the Skoda Fabia activated a speed camera in Wolseley Road at about 6pm on April 14 last year. The car was going 51mph in a 30mph zone.
He added that a notice of intended prosecution was sent to Evans as the registered keeper, but he nominated Mr Hughes.
But West Mercia police checked with the records office and found Mr Hughes had died in November 2013.
Mr Hall said Evans already had six points on his driving licence and also faced prosecution for speeding in Wales.
Michael Green, for Evans, said he had "buried his head in the sand" about the offence.
Evans pleaded not guilty to the offence at first and later failed to turn up at court.
He added the defendant was a sheep farmer with a flock of 700 who had no previous convictions.
Mr Green said the animals would need tending in his absence.
A spokesperson for the Peninsula Road Safety Partnership, which runs the camera network, said after the case: "As a result of his actions he now has a criminal record which will stay with him for life.
"Those individuals who deliberately attempt to avoid prosecution by dishonest means will be investigated and dealt with robustly. The integrity of road safety legislation must be maintained for the protection of all road users."
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