This is Gloucestershire -- DRIVER Darren Midwinter has been jailed for six months after altering a receipt to make up a false alibi and get away with motoring offences. He pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice at Gloucester Crown Court. The 45-year-old, of Nettleton, Birdlip used Tippex to alter a receipt to make it look like he was at a transport company and so could not have been the driver of a pick-up truck involved in a crash. The court heard there was a collision between his vehicle and a parked car in Moorfield Road, Brockworth, at 5pm on May 23, 2012. A witness to the crash identified his truck as being at the scene. But Midwinter argued at court he had a receipt from a transport company in Leckhampton, Cheltenham, proving he was there 10 minutes earlier. He even told District Judge Joti Bopa-Rai he would not have been able to be in the two places at once – particularly as it was the day the Olympic torch went through the county. He also produced photographs of his vehicle, showing that unlike the offending truck, his pick-up did not have side panels and was fitted with a tow bar. His also had a square number plate fitted to the rear offside of the vehicle, to go along with his story. He was cleared of failing to stop at the scene of an accident, failing to report and driving without due care and attention after a trial at Stroud Magistrates' Court in June last year, in which he represented himself. But his fake alibi was soon foiled when the prosecution noticed after the case that the receipt had been tampered with. Gloucestershire police had to get a statement from the transport company and find the original invoice to prove the receipt was from November 30 2012 and not May to prove the case. A typewriter was also seized from Midwinter's bedroom and MOT records and number plate suppliers had to be tracked down to show his story was faked. A spokesman for Gloucestershire police said: "Mr Midwinter thoroughly deserves the sentence he has received today. "He has wasted taxpayers' money by not accepting the original case against him and disgraced himself by trying to cover it up. "Today's resolution shows that we will not tolerate this type of behaviour or attempts to undermine the criminal justice system." Midwinter admitted giving false evidence under oath by producing altered documents to support his case in a magistrates' court trial on June 18 and was jailed for six months.
Reported by This is 14 hours ago.
This is Gloucestershire -- DRIVER Darren Midwinter has been jailed for six months after altering a receipt to make up a false alibi and get away with motoring offences. He pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice at Gloucester Crown Court. The 45-year-old, of Nettleton, Birdlip used Tippex to alter a receipt to make it look like he was at a transport company and so could not have been the driver of a pick-up truck involved in a crash. The court heard there was a collision between his vehicle and a parked car in Moorfield Road, Brockworth, at 5pm on May 23, 2012. A witness to the crash identified his truck as being at the scene. But Midwinter argued at court he had a receipt from a transport company in Leckhampton, Cheltenham, proving he was there 10 minutes earlier. He even told District Judge Joti Bopa-Rai he would not have been able to be in the two places at once – particularly as it was the day the Olympic torch went through the county. He also produced photographs of his vehicle, showing that unlike the offending truck, his pick-up did not have side panels and was fitted with a tow bar. His also had a square number plate fitted to the rear offside of the vehicle, to go along with his story. He was cleared of failing to stop at the scene of an accident, failing to report and driving without due care and attention after a trial at Stroud Magistrates' Court in June last year, in which he represented himself. But his fake alibi was soon foiled when the prosecution noticed after the case that the receipt had been tampered with. Gloucestershire police had to get a statement from the transport company and find the original invoice to prove the receipt was from November 30 2012 and not May to prove the case. A typewriter was also seized from Midwinter's bedroom and MOT records and number plate suppliers had to be tracked down to show his story was faked. A spokesman for Gloucestershire police said: "Mr Midwinter thoroughly deserves the sentence he has received today. "He has wasted taxpayers' money by not accepting the original case against him and disgraced himself by trying to cover it up. "Today's resolution shows that we will not tolerate this type of behaviour or attempts to undermine the criminal justice system." Midwinter admitted giving false evidence under oath by producing altered documents to support his case in a magistrates' court trial on June 18 and was jailed for six months.
Reported by This is 14 hours ago.