A driver has been given a suspended jail sentence after he reported his vehicle stolen when he panicked and fled the scene of a road accident.
Leeds Crown Court heard because of the lies told by Jamie Hever following the collision in Huddersfield a friend, who had been his passenger, was subsequently arrested and spent 16 hours in police custody on suspicion of theft.
Carmel Pearson prosecuting told the court yesterday events began after the collision between a Vauxhall Corsa and a Ford Fiesta in Wakefield Road, Moldgreen about 11.15pm on May 15.
The two occupants of the Fiesta had fled before police arrived while those in the other car were still present, including a two-year-old child.
Because of the situation the police helicopter was deployed to try and spot those from the Fiesta and the passenger who had some cuts was seen and spoken to.
At 8am the next morning Hever, who was not caught, reported his vehicle had been stolen. Police were suspicious he was trying to cover up his involvement and he was advised to tell the truth but stuck with his story.
A statement was taken from him and he was again advised to tell the truth as DNA tests were going to be done on the driver’s air bag in the Fiesta which had deployed in the accident.
Because he again maintained the theft, the passenger, who had admitted being in the car was then suspected of having been the driver and was arrested and interviewed, spending a total of 18 hours at the police station.
Miss Pearson said two days after the accident Hever, a mechanical engineer, admitted he was the driver of the Fiesta.
Adam Birkby representing him said he knew how serious the offence was and that he was fortunate his friend had forgiven him.
He said Hever was generally a very honest young man who had panicked after the accident and “rather stupidly allowed himself to dig a hole for himself and then dig it deeper and deeper in those 48 hours.”
“Thankfully he came to his senses and rang the officer in the case and said what he had done. He is deeply sorry for what he did to the courts, police and most of all to his friend.”
Hever, 24, of Southfield Road, Almondbury, admitted doing acts tending to pervert the course of justice and was given 12 months in prison suspended for two years, 240 hours unpaid work and a curfew from 9pm to 6am for four months. He was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £380.
Recorder Ray Singh said it was a serious offence since his actions had not only involved the deployment of the police helicopter, wasted the time of police officers in investigating the accident and alleged theft and carrying out interviews “time which could have been spent on genuine criminal activity.”
But he said it had also led to the detention of his friend for 16 hours and he had shown no thought for those in the other car involved who had suffered some injuries.
Having remanded Hever in custody for nearly two hours to consider sentence he said he was only prepared to suspend it after reading references about him and warned him any breach and he would be going immediately to jail.
