Motorist jailed after deflecting blame for his speed

A motorist who tried to blame his motorway speeds of 105mph and 92mph on an unsuspecting pensioner has been jailed.

Harald Plumb, aged 61, of Brynmead, Bryn, Llanelli, was clocked doing 105mph on the M4 westbound between junction 48 and Pont Abraham at around 12.45pm on 26 March 2020.

At around 1.30pm, his Mercedes was clocked at 92mph going the opposite way.

A notice of intended prosecution was sent to him on 30 March, 2020, to which he replied to name a 70-year-old man from Swansea on 3 April, 2020.

In response to the Central Ticket Office contacting the 70-year-old, he sent a letter back saying that he did not know the vehicle or who was using his details.

The matter was passed on to PC John Whiles in the GO SAFE road crime enquiry team as it appeared the defendant had falsely nominated the man to avoid prosecution, thus perverting the course of public justice.

In his initial interview, Plumb was challenged on the fact the 70-year-old denied knowledge of him and access to his vehicle. The defendant continued to lie and claimed the man was test driving his car that day having advertised it for sale.

PC Whiles then looked at interrogating telecommunication activity of the defendant’s phone on the day of the speeding offence. This revealed that the defendant’s mobile phone was transmitting a signal close to the original speeding offences’ location.

Further statements from the 70-year-old and his wife were taken, along with them providing permission to interrogate their mobile phones for the relevant time of the offence.

This line of enquiry isolated both the man and his wife’s mobile phones to their home address in Swansea, eliminating him as a suspect.

Plumb was further interviewed on this evidence and again maintained his position that he had the car out on test drive that day to the 70-year-old and he had left his mobile phone in the car.

The case was put before the CPS who duly charged Plumb with perverting the course of public justice.

At Swansea Crown Court on Wednesday, 29 September, 2021, a guilty plea was entered due to the overwhelming evidence, despite initially pleading not guilty.

Judge Paul Thomas QC was unprepared to consider a pre-sentence report as the actions of the defendant proved to be of high culpability, and an Offence against public justice.

Sentencing Plumb, Judge Thomas, criticised him for telling what he described as ''stark, cynical lies''.

Judge Thomas said: ''It strikes at the very heart of justice and undermines everything. The public need to know what happens to people who act like you did.''

Plumb was jailed for six months and disqualified from driving for 15 months.

Prosecuting QC Dean Pulling described the officer’s investigation as dogged and determined.

Judge Thomas reiterated to the court the diligent and hard work of the officer and instructed the prosecutor to notify PC Whiles’ senior officers of this recognition.

Speaking after the hearing, Regional Go Safe Co-Ordinator, PS Ian Price, said: “PC Whiles ought to be commended for his consistent and determined investigation skills he has demonstrated.

“This case is one of six convictions he has secured in the past four months for the offence of perverting the course of public justice.

“His work is helping to reinforce the message that attempting to pervert the course of justice will not work and you will be found out and prosecuted.

“In this case, it has cost a man his liberty. It just isn’t worth it.”