Accrington man got involved in an illegal speeding ticket scam

Blackburn magistrates heard Joshua David Fisher returned a Section 172 notice naming another person as the driver and giving a Bradford address.

The court was told that was the start of a paper trail designed to confuse the system. The address, and others provided in the course of the offence, were well known to police in Bradford as part of a “Section 172 Notice farm.”

Fisher, 21, of Sultan Street, Accrington, pleaded guilty to knowingly making a false statement in a statutory declaration, an offence under the perjury Act 1911. He was committed on bail to Preston Crown Court to be sentenced on September 6.

Robin Lynch, prosecuting, said on January 24 an Audi A3 had been clocked speeding by a camera on London Road, Preston. Fisher was the registered keeper and was sent the relevant documentation.

“He named Gareth Colclough as the driver at the time of the offence and gave an address in Bradford,” said Mr Lynch.

“Gareth Colclough returned the notice nominating another person at another address in Bradford.”

Mr Lynch said two further Section 172 notices were sent but were not returned. “The addresses in Bradford are well known to the police as part of a Section 172 farm,” said Mr Lynch.

“It is a method of leading the authorities on a wild goose chase with the aim of helping speeders to avoid prosecution.”

Mr Lynch said people who didn’t exist were being nominated and points were being awarded to innocent parties.

“The names nominated in this case have been put forward multiple times at each address,” said Mr Lynch.

Gareth Price, defending, said his client was a man of previous good character. “There was a genuine degree of naivety about the seriousness of the situation he entered into,” said Mr Price.