A MAN who pretended to be his brother three times when stopped by the police was today told by a judge he was very fortunate to be spared an immediate jail sentence.

Mohammed Chowdhury was first arrested on Wakefield Road in Bradford on July 26, 2020, when suspected of driving over the alcohol limit.

He failed a roadside breath test but a further test at the police station was under the legal limit and he was allowed to leave after falsely giving his brother’s name.

Bradford Crown Court heard that Chowdhury, 21, of Rosen Square, Oldham, was stopped again, on the A643 at Leeds, on March 1 last year.

When told that his number plates did not conform to regulations he produced an old driving licence of his brother’s, showing a degree of planning, it was stated.

His brother was contacted by the police and told them ‘it wasn’t me.’ Officers then began an investigation that revealed Chowdhury to be the driver in both Bradford and Leeds.

Then, in an offence taken into consideration by the court, he was stopped for a third time in Manchester on June 5 last year.

He again gave his brother’s details causing him to be wrongly served with six penalty points and fined by a court for driving without insurance.

Chowdhury pleaded guilty to two offences of providing false details to the police in or-der to evade prosecution with intent to pervert the course of public justice.

The court heard in mitigation that he had suffered a traumatic bereavement with the death of his father and that his mother was in poor health.

A psychological report had concluded that his mental state at the time had affected his decision making by causing him to be reckless and impulsive.

He was instrumental in helping to run the family business that employed 50 staff members.

Recorder Anesh Pema sentenced Chowdhury to eight months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, with 250 hours of unpaid work and a six-month curfew order. He must attend 25 rehabilitation activity days and pay £500 costs.

He told Chowdhury he was very fortunate not to go straight to prison but there were exceptional circumstances that allowed him to suspend the sentence.

These included the post-traumatic stress occasioned by his father’s death, his mother’s illness, his obvious remorse and the fact that he had no previous convictions.

Character references spoke very highly of him, Recorder Pema said.

But he stressed that the Court of Appeal had made it very clear that people usually went straight to prison for perverting the course of justice.