A MOTORIST who attempted to dodge a speeding fine by claiming another driver was behind the wheel of his car has been sentenced.

Umair Hassan Matloob claimed he wasn’t the driver when his Volkswagen Golf was caught driving at 83 miles per hour in a 40mph zone in January 2020.

Instead, he provided details of the person he claimed to be behind the wheel. A Notice of Intended Prosecution was sent to that nominated person and it was returned to police with a fake driving licence number on it.

Enquiries were made to trace the nominated driver, but it was concluded that this person didn’t exist and that the details had been provided in a bid to evade prosecution for the original speeding offence.

Matloob was given two further opportunities to provide the true driver details but continued to nominate falsely.

Appearing before Leeds Crown Court on Thursday, Matloob, 23, of Copgrove Road, Leeds, admitted perverting the course of justice.

He was sentenced to five months’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months. He was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work, pay £1,622 in fines and costs, and banned from driving for six months.

Speaking after the sentencing, Rachel Wainwright of West Yorkshire Police’s Prosecutions and Casualty Prevention Unit said: “Prior to this offence, Matloob had no criminal record. But by choosing to provide false details to avoid a speeding fine, he ended up in more trouble.

“This resulted in a suspended jail sentence, a significant fine and driving ban.”

“West Yorkshire Police are determined to keep our roads safe. By lying to evade a speeding offence, you will end up in court and you will end up with a criminal record.”