A taxi driver has been jailed for perverting the course of justice after falsely claiming a friend visiting from America was at the wheel when his cab was caught on camera speeding.
Nigel Taylor, from Sherbourne Grove in Birmingham, claimed he was asleep at home when his private hire vehicle was flashed by a speed camera in Pershore Road in August 2012 – and that a friend from Los Angeles had used the car without his permission.
In light of his alibi the prosecution was discontinued – but the enquiry was passed to West Midlands Police PC Steve Jevons at the West Midlands camera enforcement unit.
He probed the claim with Birmingham licensing enforcement officers and interrogation of Taylor’s driver records from his taxi base showed he was working at the time of the speeding offence – and had invented the story as he already had seven points on his licence.
He was interviewed and admitted driving the vehicle at the time and was charged with perverting the course of justice after refusing a fixed-penalty ticket.
And on Thursday (18 Sept) Taylor was jailed for four months at Birmingham Crown Court and ordered to pay £580 costs.
PC Steve Jevons from the Camera Enforcement Unit said: “He was caught driving 39mph in a 30 zone – but rather than accept responsibility he tried pinning the blame on a 52-year-old female friend visiting him from Los Angeles. Letters were sent to the ‘friend’ in America but there was no response…it’s strongly suspected no such person exits.
“When Taylor was interviewed he was offered a £90 fixed penalty for wasting police time and making a false statement but refused this and doggedly chose to go before the courts.
“This sentencing sends a strong message to anyone who is thinking about lying if sent a notice of intended prosecution.”
