Speeding wife lied so husband was banned
AMUM twice caught speeding blamed her husband then hid letters from him until he was banned from driving.
Catherine McGuire hit nearly 75mph on the East Lancs Road and drove at 40mph plus on a 30mph city street.
But on both occasions the 42-year-old claimed Alistair McGuire, 46, was behind the wheel of her black Mercedes.
Liverpool Crown Court heard the mum-of-one – who at the time of the second offence was disqualified – forged his signature then concealed further court letters from him.
The unsuspecting businessman only discovered her lies when he found one informing him of his road ban.
McGuire, 41, of Moss Lane, Skelmersdale, admitted twice perverting the course of justice.
Paul Blasbery, prosecuting, said the Mercedes was leased to Mr McGuire’s family business, but predominantly driven by his wife.
On July 1, 2017 she was caught by a mobile speed operator doing 74mph on a 60mph section of the East Lancashire Road in St Helens, at 12.20pm.
A Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) was sent to the business and when returned, the form named Mr McGuire as the driver and was purportedly signed by him.
There was no response to a further letter and he was prosecuted for failing to provide driver details, before being convicted in his absence on Nov 22, 2017 and hit with a £660 fine and six points.
His wife was caught by a speed camera doing 43mph on 30mph West Derby Road, in Kensington, just after 5.30am, on May 31, 2019.
Again, a NIP was returned naming Mr McGuire as the driver and seemingly signed by him, there was no response and he was again convicted in his absence on January 6, 2020.
He was given another fine and six points, meaning as a result he was disqualified for six months.
When Mr McGuire found out he contacted court, sought legal advice and declared he had no knowledge of the offences.
His convictions were quashed in February and March 2020 and police arrested his wife, who confessed in an interview.
The court heard she had previous driving convictions, including speeding at 87mph in a 60mph zone in April 2017, leading to five penalty points and a fine that August.
For speeding again in
May 2017 she was sent on a speed awareness course; and for driving with no insurance in May 2018 she was fined £600 and banned from driving for six months in Dec 2019.
Judge Brian Cummings, QC, said that meant she was still banned from the road when she pretended her husband was at the wheel on May 31, 2019.
“So she wasn’t just concealing speeding, she was concealing the fact she was a disqualified driver.”
Medical evidence showed McGuire had been treated for mental health issues throughout this period and character references spoke highly of her.
Jamie Baxter, defending, said: “It’s a curious thing to do in the first instance to name your husband as the driver of a car, not once but twice, but of course not to follow it up in any way at all.”
Mr Baxter said his client continued her “deceit” by “hiding these letters from her husband as well” and it was good fortune his convictions were quashed.
“It’s to his credit that – and your honour will have seen a long and moving letter from him – I suppose in one sense once he found out what had happened, he could have just taken the ban, a six-month ban, and the court system would be none the wiser.”
Mr Baxter said when it first came to light, McGuire’s mental health deteriorated, but she and her partner decided to go to court together, she found it “cathartic” and a relief, and her mental health had improved.
He suggested her personal mitigation was “extremely strong” and aside from driving offences she was effectively of good character.
The lawyer said McGuire told him “I can’t explain why I did it” and said: “In her words around this time her life had imploded.”
He said she had a “good job” that came to an end, she began suffering from depression and was “completely overwhelmed”.
Mr Baxter said the family went through a recent “traumatic” event when her 10-year-old son was injured and said the child was “still suffering”.
Judge Cummings said: “It’s a very nasty injury and distressing for any parent, no question.”
Mr Baxter urged the judge to spare his “remorseful” client prison and said jailing her would have a significant harmful impact on her son – which the author of a pre-sentence report said was “likely to be profoundly detrimental to his emotional development” - and also to her husband.
He said: “He remains to his credit very supportive and in fact their relationship has become closer after an entirely understandable bumpy period.”
Judge Cummings said McGuire’s actions twice saw her husband “wrongly convicted” and the second time was more serious because she was a banned driver with “a history of speeding”.
The judge said speeding endangered other road users and told McGuire: “Stop speeding.”
She sobbed as he handed her 14 months in jail suspended for two years, 100 hours of unpaid work, a £500 court costs order and a nine-month driving ban.