A driver who failed to stop at the scene of a crash on the A17 later put a false date on his car sale document in a failed bid to throw police off his track.
Philip Case changed the date hoping it would prove to police he was not the owner of the Ford Fiesta at the time of the accident on the A17/Wisbech Road on February 11.
District judge John Stobart told Case that it was fortunate the investigating officer “was not to be thrown off the track”.
He fined Case £350 for using a false instrument designed to induce police to accept it as genuine.
Case (58), of Water Gate, Quadring Eaudyke, was fined £150 with six penalty points for failing to report the accident and £200 for obstructing a police officer.
He must pay £85 costs and a £35 victim surcharge.
Case admitted all three offences.
Jim Clare, prosecuting, said the accident involved a Jaguar X-type and Case’s Ford Fiesta.
The Jaguar stopped but the Fiesta was driven off.
Through his solicitor, David Lee, Case claimed to be the victim of “some serious and aggressive driving” and left the scene because – although it was dark and the other driver was 40-50 yards away – he “perceived” the other driver had a weapon.
Mr Clare said the Jaguar driver denied having any weapon.
He said police spotted the Fiesta on the A16 on June 17 and Case said then he bought the car in the previous few weeks. Police went to his home on June 19 when Case produced a sales invoice for the car dated May 14 and again denied being the owner and driver on February 11.
Mr Clare said police started investigations and again saw Case, who then admitted he was the owner and driver at time of the crash.
Case told police he had added a date to the invoice after he was stopped on the A16.
“It was quite a long investigation, as you can imagine,” Mr Clare told the court.
Mr Lee said Case had no previous convictions and 40 years of driving without any incident.
He said Case maintained he was entirely blameless for the accident.
“He accepts he has made matters worse by falsifying the sales invoice,” said Mr Lee. “He had the sales invoice but he’s put a date in.”
Mr Lee continued: “This is a 58-year-old man who has brought disgrace upon himself, appearing in court for the very first time in his life.”
He said Case and his wife were facing repossession proceedings for their home and Case had suffered badly in terms of bereavement this year with the loss of his brother.
Mr Lee said those things had come together and got on top of him and had perhaps clouded his judgement.
Case works in Peterborough as an MOT tester.