Two women who knowingly provided false names in their response to speeding tickets have received sentences totalling more than two years.
Hajrah Jahan, 27, was charged with two counts of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and one count of perverting the course of justice, while Aneesa Ramzan, 30, was charged with one count of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
Jahan pled guilty to the three offences if February this year. Ramzan was convicted of her count after a trial.
Burnley Crown Court heard how the charges reflected two incidents where a Range Rover registered to Jahan was caught speeding.
On December 11, 2020, the vehicle was caught doing 41mph in a 30mph zone and a Section 172 order was sent to her registered address of Granville Road, Blackburn.
When nominating the driver, Jahan used the details of a man she had had a brief relationship with after meeting on holiday in Ibiza rather than her own.
On April 2, 2021, the same Range Rover was caught doing 36mph in a 30mph zone and Jahan again used false details on the nomination.
On April 14, 2022, an Audi A3 registered to Ramzan was caught doing 43mph in a 30mph zone and the details nominated were that of a client which had been assigned to her friend Jahan at work as a conveyancer for a solicitors firm in Blackburn.
The client lived in Bristol but was in the process of selling a house in Blackburn.
Both defendants independently attended police interviews and when asked to hand over phones, gave ones that were not their regular phones.
Mark Friend, mitigating for Jahan, said she recognised the seriousness of the offences and the precariousness of her position.
He added that the guilty pleas are “not only evidence of her acceptance of culpability but they are genuine expressions of remorse.”
Isabelle Hadad, mitigating for Ramzan, also said her client was aware of the seriousness of the offences and suggested a suspended sentence was worthy of consideration.
She added that Ramzan, of Beechwood Road, Blackburn, was remorseful and very sorry for her involvement.
Sentencing, Recorder Michelle Brown said: “In December 2020 a Range Rover registered to Jahan was caught on cameras speeding. When you were sent the notice to nominate the driver you sent the details of a man of which you had a brief relationship with.
“Ramzan was caught speeding and you, Jahan, used false details to fill in the form.
“Ramzan subsequently accepted the speeding offence and went on a speed awareness course.
“You engaged in a pattern of deliberate attempts to pervert the course of justice.”
Recorder Brown sentenced Jahan to 16 months in prison for each of the three counts, to run concurrently with each other, giving a total sentence of 16 months.
Despite making a “stupid choice”, Recorder Brown accepted that Ramzan’s role was short-lived. She was sentenced to 12 months suspended for 18 months.
Ramzan must also complete 200 hours unpaid work and 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
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