A Moray man spent 18 months trying to frame one of his childhood friends in an effort to avoid getting a fine and penalty points.
Christopher Dunion gave police the name and date of birth of boyhood pal Christopher Thomson when he was pulled over for speeding on the A96 Kintore-Blackburn road on June 23, 2017.
Over the following months Mr Thomson was sent letters asking him to pay a fixed penalty, and was then summoned to court.
When he didn’t respond a warrant was issued for his arrest, and when Mr Thomson appeared in the dock Dunion’s lies began to unravel.
Yesterday Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard that the 37-year-old had texted Mr Thomson asking him to take responsibility for the driving offence.
Fiscal depute Rebecca Clark said: “A text message the accused sent to him asked that he took the points. Dunion offered Mr Thomson money but he refused.”
Solicitor David Sutherland said Dunion told the lie because he feared a 10-year-old criminal record would come back to haunt him otherwise.
He said: “I suspect, had he come clean at the locus, he might still have received a fixed penalty.
“It’s all because of a record dating back to 2007.
“At that time he was stupid, and he’s equally stupid for continuing with this.
“He’s taking responsibility and is remorseful.”
Dunion, of Conval Crescent in Dufftown, admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice by lying to police.
Sheriff Robert Vaughan described the crime as a “serious matter” and ordered the accused to remain within his home from 9pm-7am for nine months.