A “ROAD rage” driver who lied to a judge to try to avoid a jail term is behind bars – for three times longer than he originally got.

Farhan Syed, 22, was sent to prison for nine months by Recorder Paul O’Brien, after earlier being convicted of perjury, at Burnley Crown Court.

The defendant, of Whalley Road, Simonstone, had denied the allegation but was convicted after a trial in December.

The hearing had earlier been told how Syed had originally been sent to custody for three months by Burnley magistrates, after being convicted of racially abusing motorist Jason Snape in an incident in Padiham, almost two years ago.

Syed then appealed against the custodial sentence at Burnley Crown Court, where he told Judge Simon Newell he needed to remain a free man as he was about to start a course at Salford University.

The judge allowed the appeal and gave him a suspended jail term with unpaid work instead, but stressed he wanted evidence Syed was going to be a student.

The court later received a letter, supposedly from the university, which confirmed he had a place on a building and design course. It turned out that while Syed may have had a conditional offer to study at Salford, he had not got the grades he needed and he was later arrested.

The original case centred on allegations that, while driving a family-owned Subaru Impreza, he pulled in front of a vehicle in Padiham.

It was driven by Mr Snape, then aged 20, who had his mother Laura, 42, in the passenger seat. Syed and a passenger got out.

Without warning Syed banged on the Snapes’s car, shouted at them, and threatened violence.

He then racially abused Mr Snape, who reversed to get away and hit a vehicle behind.