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Taxi driver jailed for cheating the system
A cabbie from Hemel Hempstead who cheated his way out of three points on his licence by using a false name was jailed for two weeks.
Waheed Akhtar, 37, of Ninian Road, faced higher insurance premiums after the Seat Alhambra he was driving was caught by a speed camera.
Prosecuting at Luton Crown Court, Bill McGivern said Akhtar was six miles over the 40mph limit and a notice of prosecution was sent demanding to know the name and address of the driver.
The form was returned with another man's name on it and an address in Long Lane, Hemel Hempstead.
When the letter was sent to the house it was returned with a note saying nobody lived there, the court was told.
Mr McGivern said inquiries were made with Amber Taxis and Akhtar was identified.
Akhtar, who already had three points on his licence, was driving a fare from Watford to Milton Keynes on the A5 at Chalk Hill in Dunstable when he passed the camera on October 5, 2006.
He pleaded guilty to doing acts tending to pervert the course of justice and was jailed for two weeks on Friday, June 27.
Akhtar told the police a friend had completed the form for him and claimed the friend had advised him to use a false name to avoid paying higher insurance premiums.
Alexander Goudie, defending, said Akhtar was the sole breadwinner for his family and had always worked, never claiming benefit.
"He acted stupidly and naively and was led astray by someone else," he said.
Judge Andrew Bright QC told Akhtar: "There have been 64 cases like yours in the last couple of years.
"There has been an epidemic of taxi drivers and others giving false information to deceive the justice system.
"The message must go out loud and clear that doing what you did is perverting the course of public justice and the courts will not tolerate it."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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