Nelson taxi driver jailed for lying on oath

Burnley Crown Court heard how Zaheer Shah, 27, had faced disqualification after being convicted, in his absence, of speeding.

He than appealed against the conviction and ban at Preston Crown Court, telling Judge Graham Knowles, QC, and two magistrates, he had not been at the wheel and had never been a cabbie.

But, the police officers who had stopped him were still in court and he had shown them a taxi licence as identification. Prosecutors were alerted, he landed in far deeper trouble and he was later brought back before the courts.

Shah, of Hartley Street, Nelson, was last month convicted of perjury by a jury after a trial. He denied the allegation.

The Burnley hearing had been told how in the early hours of October 2009, the defendant was stopped for speeding in Preston.

He gave his name, date of birth and address and produced a cab licence for ID. A fixed penalty notice was issued, it was not accepted and a summons in the defendant's name was issued. Shah did not attend court in response to it.

The defendant was convicted, in his absence, of speeding and because he already had eight points on his licence and was given six more points, he was disqualified under the totting up procedure.

In September last year, Shah attended an appeal hearing. On oath, he claimed he had not been the driver, was not a cabbie and never had been.

Katie Jones, for Shah, now a part-time tyre fitter, said if he had responded to the fixed penalty notice in the proper way, he would have got three points on his licence and a fine.

The court heard the defendant was due to enter into an arranged marriage and supported his fiancee, who was in Pakistan, financially. He had never been to custody before. Miss Jones added Shah had not lied to get anybody else in to trouble, but to get himself out of trouble.

Sentencing, Recorder Dennis Watson, QC, told Shah that lying to a crown court on oath was very serious indeed.