Driver blamed disabled landlord

ADRIVER who was caught speeding in Cardiff tried to pin the blame on his disabled landlord who had not driven for more than a decade.

John Lundie would have received three penalty points on his licence, but instead ended up going straight to prison for trying to pass the buck on to his vulnerable landlord.

Sentencing him at Cardiff Crown Court, Judge Eleri Rees said: “Those who set out to pervert the course of justice must expect an immediate custodial term.”

The court heard the offending occurred between August 27 last year and February 6 this year.

Tom Roberts, prosecuting, said a Vauxhall Astra registered to Lundie was caught speeding in North Road in Cardiff. The defendant was sent a notice of intended prosecution on September 1, requiring him to state who was behind the wheel at the time.

Prosecutors said Lundie put down the name of his landlord, Roy Hunt.

The court heard Mr Hunt had not driven for more than a decade after suffering two strokes and being diagnosed with dementia.

Lundie was Mr Hunt’s lodger and the court heard he intercepted his post when the landlord was sent a notice of intended prosecution on September 20.

Prosecutors said the defendant pretended to be Mr Hunt and “admitted” he was the driver at the time of the speeding offence.

The court heard Mr Hunt was offered the chance to complete a speed awareness course and the prosecution began against him when he did not attend.

Mr Roberts said: “The prosecution was halted when his sister became involved.

“She explained that due to his health difficulties, he simply could not have been the driver.”

Lundie answered “no comment” to all the questions put to him in his police interview.

Mr Roberts added Lundie has been before the courts for 67 previous offences.

Lundie, 51, from MacFarlane Chase in Weston-super-Mare, admitted perverting the course of justice.

Alun Williams, defending, said he did not want to “belittle” the offending, but said the “substance of the offending” was filling in two forms.

Lundie was jailed for four months.