Speeder who gave false names ‘lucky to avoid jail’

A SINGER who submitted false details to the authorities in a bid to avoid being disqualified from driving after he was detected committing three speeding offences has been given an 18-month jail sentence, suspended for three years, at Londonderry Crown Court.

Judge Philip Babington told the defendant, father-of-one Jonathan Kohlmeyer (35), from Liscloon Drive in Derry, that he should consider himself very fortunate not to be going to jail.

Judge Babington said he was suspending the jail sentence because the Public Prosecution Service first had information about Kohlmeyer’s offending in February 2015.

He said when Kohlmeyer was interviewed by police in September 2015 he admitted his offending, but it took another three years to prosecute him.

Kohlmeyer’s offending was detected by handwriting experts after he had submitted false information to the fixed penalty processing centre over three speeding tickets.

Kohlmeyer was the nominated driver of his disabled mother’s Motobility car, which was detected speeding three times in 2014, including when it was being driven at 95mph along the Glenshane Road, which has a speed limit of 60mph.

Kohlmeyer had given the names and addresses of two men who lived in Co Donegal, as having been the drivers at the time. But the PSNI and Garda established the information was false.

Kohlmeyer eventually pleaded guilty to seven charges of perverting the course of justice.