A MAN was caught perverting the course of justice after he named his dead father as being the speeding driver of his car.
Vasille Georgiou initially denied eight charges against him that he had claimed someone else was using his car when it was caught by speed cameras in the city.
He was set to face trial on eight charges of perverting the court of justice between August 2005 and June 2012.
However, moments before the trial was about to start, two of the counts were put to him again and he pleaded guilty.
He also pleaded guilty to a similar offence which took place sometime between August 25, 2005 and September 22, 2005.
He asked for a third incident in 2011 to be taken into consideration.
Prosecutor Alistair Verheijen said the Crown would ask for the five other counts to lie on file.
Judge Paul Darlow asked for the waiting jury panel to be brought into the courtroom to hear a brief opening statement from Mr Verheijen and the guilty pleas.
Mr Verheijen explained that Georgiou was the registered keeper of a vehicle which was caught eight times over a period of time.
He noted how a form is sent to people captured by speed cameras and the onus is on the registered keeper to reveal who was driving the vehicle at that time. The police then decide whether the driver should face a speed awareness court or be brought before magistrates to be charged with speeding.
He said Georgiou had claimed the driver was Stavros Georgiou who lived in Cyprus. Police wrote to this man – understood to be Georgiou’s father – who admitted he was the driver. As he was a foreign licence owner no prosecution could be brought.
Georgiou’s father was nominated a number of times, as was a great uncle at some stage, but in 2008 Georgiou’s father died.
Unfortunately, the 48-year-old, from Outland Road, nominated his father again in 2012.
Mr Verheijen said at this point “it was quite clearly a lie”.
His advocate, Nick Lewin requested a pre-sentence report be carried out.
Judge Darlow noted how a custodial sentence was “very much on the cards.”
He added: “Speeding is not that serious an offence, but perverting the course of justice is.”
Georgiou was granted bail and will be sentenced on September 5.
Plymouth Herald
