A MOTORIST who used other people’s numberplates to avoid paying for fuel has been jailed.

Petrol stations routinely have numberplate recognition cameras to identify cars that drive off with full tanks without paying so the driver can be traced.

Judge Simon Hickey told York Crown Court Justin Douglas Earp, 48, stole numberplates from other cars.

He disguised his own car by putting the stolen numberplates on them.

Then, for three months at the end of 2019 he had toured garages around the York area, filling up with petrol and then driving off without paying for it.

Earp was originally given a chance to avoid jail but had come up with a “number of excuses” to avoid doing his punishment in the community as ordered by the court.

“I don’t accept it. I think the time has come.” the judge told Earp.

He ordered that Earp serve the six-month sentence the judge had suspended last February on condition Earp did 100 hours’ unpaid work.

Earp, of North Moor Gardens, Huntington, pleaded guilty to five charges of making off without paying, one of theft of numberplates and one of fraudulent use of numberplates.

He also admitted failure to comply with the suspended prison sentence.

James Howard, for the probation service, said Earp had done eight out of the 100 hours and had not attended eight probation appointments.

The judge said Earp had told probation he couldn’t do the unpaid work because of a bad back.

After receiving a doctor’s report that he couldn’t do heavy labour or work involving machinery, the probation service arranged for him to do light work.

Then he claimed he had to care for his mother, but didn’t provide evidence of this when the probation service asked for it.

Then he claimed he had had to isolate for Covid-19 reasons, but again had not provided evidence to support his claim.

In court, Earp, who represented himself, made detailed claims that his circumstances had changed.

Covid19 restrictions have delayed many unpaid work sessions generally.