Illegal motorist pretended to be his brother in magistrates’ court

AN uninsured and unlicensed driver who was caught by the police told officers he was his brother – and even kept up the act in court.

Jamie Wilson told officers his name was Mark Wilson, then continued pretending to be his brother in the magistrates’ court before intercepting his post so he would not find out.

David Pugh, prosecuting at Cardiff Crown Court, said the defendant, Jamie Wilson, was stopped by police on the A48 in St Mellons, Cardiff, in May 2009. The court heard he was driving a Vauxhall Astra without a valid licence or insurance.

Mr Pugh said: “Rather than giving his own name the defendant gave the name of his brother, Mark Wilson, who was eventually prosecuted.”

Jamie Wilson went to Cardiff Magistrates’ Court in November 2009 and pretended to be his brother.

The court heard he “hesitated” when he was asked to confirm his identity but continued to impersonate his brother and pleaded guilty to driving without a licence or insurance.

Mark Wilson was fined £115, given six penalty points on his driving licence, and was ordered to pay £15 towards prosecution costs.

Prosecutors said Jamie Wilson then began to intercept his brother’s post at their mother’s address so he would not realise what had happened.

The court heard the defendant started paying the fine but could not keep up with the payments of £10 per fortnight.

In 2011 Mark Wilson received a letter saying he had £45 left to pay of an outstanding fine.

Prosecutors said he went to Rumney police station to report the matter but did not receive a response from the police or courts.

The court heard Mark Wilson then received a letter from enforcement services in July last year requesting payment of the amount still outstanding.

He contacted the agency and was sent a memorandum of conviction, which contained details he recognised as relating to his brother’s Vauxhall Astra.

Police contacted Jamie Wilson last December and he told officers he “panicked” when he was pulled over.

He accepted it was he driving the Vauxhall Astra, not his brother, and admitted impersonating him in the magistrates’ court.

Jamie Wilson, 52, from Ty-Fry Gardens in Rumney, Cardiff, admitted perverting the course of justice.

Edward Mitchard, mitigating, said: “This is a matter which snowballed out of control back in 2009.”

Judge Richard Williams Jamie Wilson for six months. jailed