A man who attempted to avoid a speeding conviction by claiming somebody else was driving his car has been handed a six-month driving ban.
Ansar Ali, 52, of Small Heath, Birmingham, was convicted of failing to identify as the driver of a vehicle which was caught speeding on the Carlisle western bypass on April 16 2024 at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
Ali was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay a £400 victim surcharge and £110 in costs.
On receipt of the notice of intended prosecution, Ali had nominated another individual who was based in London as the offending driver.
Police checks found that there was no record of the individual existing and that the address provided was linked to 22 other nominations for speeding offences.
Police said believed that this case links to so-called NIP farm fraudsters who sell innocent people’s details to drivers who want to avoid punishment for an offence like speeding or using a phone at the wheel.
John McIntosh, Cumbria Constabulary’s criminal justice unit manager, said: “This case underlines our commitment to ensuring that people who commit offences are held accountable for their actions.
“Our investigation found no record of the person who was falsely nominated as the offending driver in this case. Our enquiries also found that the nominated address was linked to other speeding offences.
“It is our belief that the address provided is being used by NIP farm fraudsters who seek to profit by selling details to people who are looking to avoid prosecution.
“It is our hope that this case acts as a warning to others that we will carry out enquiries to ensure people are correctly prosecuted.”
