A man from Bradford who had no driving licence and was uninsured told police his father had been driving when spotted behind the wheel of a car. 

Bradford Crown Court heard that Waseem Hussain was captured on a police officer’s bodyworn camera making a phone call and saying: “Tell him to tell the police that he was driving.”

Prosecutor Joe Culley told the court that Hussain denied being the driver after officers approached him on Scotchman Road on the afternoon of March 7 last year.

Police who checked his details found the 21-year-old was uninsured and had no current licence.

However Hussain was adamant that his father had been the driver. His father, Matloob Khan, then appeared and claimed he had been behind the wheel.

Mr Culley said: “The police had seen Waseem Hussain to have been the driver and sole occupant at the time, and knew him [the father] to be lying.”

Father and son, of Westfield Road, Bradford, were both charged with intent to pervert the course of justice.

Mitigating for Waseem Hussain, Fen Greatley-Hirsch said his actions were illustrative of his age and lack of maturity, and his decision to lie had been taken on the spur of the moment.

Mitigating for Matloob Hussain, Nicola Hoskins said the 65-year-old very much regretted his behaviour on the day in question.

Mr Recorder Paul Reid told Waseem Hussain: “You should be utterly ashamed not only for lying to the police but compounding that by involving your father.”

He sentenced Waseem Hussain to 32 weeks imprisonment suspended for 18 months, ordered him to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and to undertake 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days. He was also ordered to pay costs of £250.

Matloob Khan, described as “a hard-working and trusted man”, was handed a one-month sentence suspended for 12 months.