A car dealer has been jailed for 20 months for lying to the police while racking up penalty points for eight speeding offences in the Bradford area.

Saif Butt invented a self-employed car valeter from Kurdistan called Raza Ali to take the rap when he persistently triggered speed cameras in a black Vauxhall Astra.

Butt, 25, of The Knoll, Calverley, Pudsey, at first insisted that the fictitious Mr Ali really existed but went on to admit 11 counts of perverting the course of justice by making false statements in notices of intended prosecution.

Even after his guilty pleas were entered, he told his probation officer it was all down to the non-existent Mr Ali.

Prosecutor Gerald Hendron told Bradford Crown Court today that the charges covered eight speeding offences over six months between February and August, 2019.

Butt insured the Astra in his own name even though it was a pool car at the dealership where he worked.

On 11 occasions when he completed paperwork in response to the police’s forms, he said Raza Ali was the speeder.

Mr Hendron said he was well aware the information was untrue and he intended to frustrate the police investigation.

Butt gave a false address in Bradford for Mr Ali that he was connected to so he could receive the documentation and respond to it.

The court heard that the speeding offences took place on Mayo Avenue, the A647, Manningham Lane and the M62.

The police began an investigation in September, 2019, and visited Butt’s workplace where he told them Mr Ali was the culprit.

He said the self-employed car valeter from Kurdistan was now untraceable.

Butt had six penalty points on his licence for speeding when he committed the offences, Mr Hendron said.

Abdul Shakoor said in mitigation that Butt had no previous convictions when he committed the offences.

Character references spoke of him as kind-hearted, mild-mannered and respectful.

He visited elderly people in his area and gave donations to the less fortunate, the court heard.

But Judge Jonathan Rose said the offending struck at the heart of the justice system.

Although Butt clearly had another side to him, he must go to prison immediately for his offending.

“You have devised and put into practice a means of thwarting the system to undermine the justice system,” he said.

Butt was never greatly in excess of the speed limit, the court heard.

But from the outset he was determined to be dishonest with the police by giving a false name and address.

He had avoided up to 24 penalty points with his persistent offending and didn’t have the courage to admit his guilt when the case was listed for trial the first time in May. He admitted the offences only when a second trial was listed in September.

Then, having entered guilty pleas, he lied to his probation officer saying he was innocent of all 11 offences and Mr Ali was to blame.

It was a wilful, persistent and carefully thought out course of conduct, Judge Rose said.

Butt was banned from driving for 30 months.