Taxi Driver Online

June 11, 2007 Monday

HEADLINE: City cabbie lied about driver of taxi three times

Lucy Clark

Daily Echo

A HAMPSHIRE cabbie tried to outwit the law by pretending the speeding driver behind the wheel of his taxi was in South Africa, a court heard.

Ernest Jones was snapped three times on speed cameras in Southampton.

But each time the police tracked his registration number and wrote to him, he replied saying the driver was a man in South Africa.

On the third occasion, he even masqueraded as his son, David Jones, who lives in South Africa.

Now Jones, 63, is facing the prospect of a prison sentence after his false statements to the police caught up with him.

Southampton Magistrates' Court heard Jones, from Fair Oak, was caught on a speed camera last July on the Northam Bridge. Four days later, he was caught again in Southampton. The third offence was in West Quay Road in March this year when he was doing 37mph in a 30mph zone.

When police contacted Jones, he named the driver as a Robert Peterson and provided an address in South Africa, but the police's notice of prosecution was returned to England marked "persons unknown".

After being caught in West Quay Road, Jones claimed David Jones - his own son - was driving at the time.

Jones, who has been a private hire vehicle driver for three years, pleaded guilty to three charges of perjury and one of speeding.

Prosecutor Kelly Wickens said: "When police received a reply from David Jones stating he was the driver, they were suspicious and the defendant was arrested. He admitted giving a false name on two previous occasions and that David Jones is his son. He had filled out the form on behalf of his son.

"In interview, he said he wished to evade prosecution because he already had three points on his licence."

Sending Jones to Southampton Crown Court to be sentenced, magistrates' chairman Peter Cleaver told him: "You have blatantly tried to evade justice. We think our sentencing powers are not enough so are referring you to crown court for sentence."

Afterwards, Jones told the Daily Echo: "I did it the first two times because I was under extreme stress. The third one I did because I thought well, I have got away with it twice, I will try again'."

He will be sentenced on July 5.
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