A driver who tried to lie his way out of a speeding ticket has been jailed for perjury and perverting the course of justice.

Ashley X, 35, of Clyfford Road, Ealing, London, was caught driving his Honda sports car at 67mph in a 50mph section of roadworks near Saffron Walden in December 2009.

X, who changed his name by deed poll in 2006, initially claimed another man was driving, but after trying to fight the case at six courts, last Thursday (April 23) he admitted the offence.

He first, when he was summonsed to Harlow Magistrates’ Court in 2010, for speeding and failing to produce driver details, claimed a ‘cousin’ had been driving.

At a third court appearance at Witham in 2010, X produced a driving licence he claimed belonged to a cousin. He later faked a letter from the cousin, which said the cousin had been driving and X was innocent. X also claimed the cousin had already paid the fines.

Two appeal hearings were heard and dismissed at Chelmsford Crown Court in February and June 2011. X also had an application to the Appeals Court in London, but it was rejected.

In 2013, X tried to make a statutory declaration to claim he knew nothing of the Witham hearing, even though he was present. The case was dismissed, but he then attempted to do the same at Ealing Magistrates’ Court, where he claimed not to know anything about the Honda and he had never owned it.

Officers from Essex police investigated the declaration, which was the subject of the perjury charge. They spoke to the person X said was his cousin, who turned out to just be a friend, who then denied owning the car and writing the letter saying he had been driving it.

A trial started on April 21, but on the third day, X changed his plea to guilty.

Judge Martyn Levett sentenced X to nine months’ imprisonment for attempting to pervert the course of justice. He was also jailed for five months for perjury, which will run concurrently.

X was also ordered to pay costs of £1,200.

The investigation was carried out by Pc Roy Keyes, from the Essex Police Casualty Reduction Team. During the hearing he was praised by the prosecution barrister Andrew Shaw for his perseverance in bringing X to justice.

Pc Keyes said after the hearing: “Ashley X was determined to avoid paying the £60 fine and having three penalty points on his licence. But for five years he tried to deny the offence and committed two serious offences which ultimately led to him being sent to prison.”