A ROAD rage motorist who escaped a prison sentence after claiming he was about to go to university has been convicted of perjury.

Farhan Syed, 22, was jailed for 12 weeks by Burnley magistrates after being convicted of racially abusing fellow motorist Jason Snape during an incident in Padiham in February 2008.

But he lodged an appeal and told Burnley Crown Court that he was due to begin a course at Salford University and should remain a free man. Judge Simon Newell showed mercy on Syed, of Dean Top, Simonstone, and replaced the prison term with a suspended jail sentence.

But the judge, who also gave him 120 hours community service, warned him he wanted proof that the course was genuine.

But alarm bells rung when the court later received a letter, supposedly from the university, confirming his place on a building and design course.

It emerged that while Syed may have been issued with a conditional offer for the course, he had never actually achieved the required grades.

No other records confirmed he was a student there.

Syed was later arrested by police and charged with perjury.

He denied the charge but was convicted following a five-day trial, also at Burnley Crown Court, and the case was adjourned until January 8 for sentence.