Speeding pensioner's trail of deceit

A PENSIONER has escaped jail despite falsely claiming his son was responsible for breaking the speed limit on three occasions in order to avoid points on his licence.

John Richardson, 75, from Budleigh Salterton, East Devon, was yesterday handed down a nine-month suspended sentence after pleading guilty to three counts of perverting the course of justice.

Plymouth Crown Court heard how Richardson's family were "furious" that he had told police that his Vauxhall Vectra, captured by speed cameras three times on Westcountry roads, was driven by his son. The son was oblivious to his father's actions throughout.

A police investigation found the son's address in Vienna, Austria, given to officers was false as he had not lived in the country for around 10 years. He also used his son's middle name when nominating the driver involved in the offence.

When arrested and interviewed by Devon and Cornwall Police in April, Richardson maintained his story when reading out a prepared statement that had been concealed in his sock.

Richardson had been warned that he faced prison, but Recorder Martin Meeke QC yesterday took into account his age and heart condition when opting to suspend the sentence for 12 months.

The judge also considered the age and health of Richardson's wife, also in her 70s, who recently underwent major abdominal surgery and is dependent on her husband driving her to the Royal Devon and Exeter hospital.

Nonetheless, Richardson was disqualified from driving for six months, given a residential order and told to pay more than £3,000 in costs.

Of the driving ban, Mr Meeke said: "That will hurt and inconvenience you. It is designed to do so. It is part of the punishment imposed upon you."

Richardson was caught by speed cameras on three separate occasions from August 2006 in Dorset, Cornwall and Devon. Police became suspicious after his car was captured last September travelling on the B3178 at East Budleigh, Devon, at 40mph in an area restricted to 30mph.

Interviewed seven months later at Exeter police station, his statement said once again that his son was driving the car, and claimed the car keys were left at home for him to drive the vehicle whenever he visited.

After Richardson refused to answer questions during a 44-minute interview, investigating officer PC Dave Williams spoke to witnesses to secure a conviction – including Richardson's son, who was living in Australia.

Defending, barrister Llewellyn Sellick said that Richardson "cannot explain why he did it" but that he might have heard "in a pub or somewhere" that "you can get away with speed cameras". He added: "His family are furious. They cannot believe their father has behaved in this way."

In summary, Mr Meeke explained that courts were bound to "impose appropriate punishment for those that think they can beat the system", but was minded to consider Richardson's "own particular facts".

"I have come to the conclusion that it will not be appropriate to serve that sentence immediately," he said.