A SPEEDING van driver who “gave the police the run-about” for four months has been jailed.

Police clocked Stephen David Adsetts doing 80 mph where he should have been doing no more than 60 mph on the A64 at Heslington, Rob Galley, prosecuting, told York Crown Court.

But when they tracked him down through his insurance company in June, he claimed the Vauxhall Transporter van had been owned by someone else at the time and produced a fake vehicle sale document.

 

York Press:

When the police investigations showed that was false, the 40-year-old self-employed builder claimed he had been test driving it in Manchester at the time of the speeding offence on May 20 last year.

Only when police proved he had been at the scene of the crime at the time by tracking his mobile phone and using automatic number plate recognition, did he confess – in October - that he was the speeding motorist.

It took 24 police man hours to end his deceit, the court heard.

“What you effectively did was to give the police the runabout which resulted in them having to do a considerable amount of work in order to nail the lie,” the Honorary Recorder of York, Judge Paul Batty QC told him.

“Those who embark upon this type of deliberate falsehood will face severe punishment.”

He jailed Adsetts, of Park Crescent, Bolton-upon-Dearne, South Yorkshire, for eight months.

Adsetts pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.

For Adsetts, Ian Brook said he had forgotten to register himself as the new owner of the van when he bought it on May 18 before the speeding offence and that had led to his lies to the police. He was remorseful, the court was told.

Mr Galley said because the van was classed as a heavy goods vehicle, it was limited to 60 mph on dual carriageways.