Jail for former West Yorkshire PC who let wife take blame for speeding

A constabulary serviceman who tried to dodge 2 speeding tickets by getting his woman to instrumentality them connected his behalf has been jailed for six months.

PC Mark Hinchliffe, 43, was caught connected camera doubly successful 3 months breaking a 30mph bounds successful Morley adjacent Leeds.

When the mates received the speeding tickets, they claimed it had been his woman Lisa, 38, besides a constabulary employee, who had been down the wheel.

A justice said the brace had "tried it on" due to the fact that they worked for the police.

The Leeds-based officer, who has since resigned from West Yorkshire Police, and his wife, who besides near her civilian post, pleaded blameworthy to 2 offences of perverting the people of justness astatine a tribunal proceeding past November.

Passing condemnation connected Wednesday, Judge Jonathan Rose told the pair: "You thought you could get distant with it and thought that radical who basal successful the dock for these offences were radical who were not similar you. You are wrong."

The justice said helium "could not successful each conscience" nonstop Lisa Hinchliffe to jailhouse due to the fact that of the "significant harmful impact" it would person connected their 2 children and gave her a four-month jailhouse term, suspended for 2 years.

Bradford Crown Court was told Mr Hinchliffe, who was a safer schools serviceman for West Yorkshire Police astatine the time, had worked for the unit for 18 years and had an impeccable record.

Prosecutor Richard Walters described however helium was caught connected camera speeding successful Morley portion driving the couple's VW Passat and Renault Megane vehicles astatine 37mph and 36mph connected the aforesaid 30mph roadworthy successful April and June.

After receiving Notices of Intended Prosecution for speeding, his woman declared she had been the operator some times.

The tribunal was told she attended a velocity consciousness people and for the 2nd offence paid a fixed punishment good and had points enactment connected her licence.

However, aft an probe by the constabulary nonrecreational standards committee commenced successful September the pair, of Moorside Drive, Bradford, were arrested and their mobile phones were seized.

Mr Walters said: "Both phones had extended messages relating to the speeding offences."

He added: "He [Hinchliffe] talks astir a caller occupation he's got wherever helium has to sojourn schools and says helium wouldn't beryllium capable to sojourn them if helium mislaid his licence.

"He besides expressed interest due to the fact that helium was disquieted determination was different offence to travel and astatine that signifier Lisa talks astir taking 3 points for him."

Sarah Barlow, defending the erstwhile officer, said going to situation was each officer's worst fearfulness and added: "He is simply a thoroughly decent man...or was. He feels keenly the information that helium has fto everybody down."

The justice said Hinchliffe had fto down the constabulary unit and his family.

He said helium had been "emboldened" by getting distant with the archetypal offence and that had encouraged the mates to perpetrate the 2nd offence.

"Of people this is ever a superior offence and of people a situation condemnation volition ever beryllium passed and, I'm acrophobic to accidental Mark Hinchliffe, adjacent much truthful erstwhile it is simply a serving constabulary serviceman who does this."

Mark Hinchliffe was besides banned from driving for 18 months.

His woman was banned for 12 weeks and besides ordered to transportation retired 200 hours of unpaid work.

West Yorkshire Police said misconduct investigations would present resume, which could spot the mates banned from immoderate policing relation successful future.

Det Ch Supt Nicola Bryar, of the force's Professional Standards Directorate, said: "Both the constabulary and nationalist rather rightly expect our officers and unit to abide by the law.

"Mark Hinchliffe not lone committed transgression offences successful the archetypal spot by speeding, but erstwhile caught helium has, alongside his woman Lisa, knowingly tried to impact the transgression justness process.

"Honesty and integrity are cardinal values of the constabulary service."