Two drivers tried to avoid speeding convictions by claiming someone else had been behind the wheel of their vehicles, York Crown Court heard.

Samadur Rahman Choudhury, 28, of Ashmore Gardens, Bradford, and Shan Antonio Deng, 25, of Ashville Grove, Halifax, both nominated the same innocent man as being the person who had been driving their speeding vehicles.

In a third speeding offence, Choudhury named a second innocent man as being the person behind the wheel of his vehicle in an attempt to avoid prosecution. 

Both men were unknown to the two victims.

Choudhury’s van, which he used for work, was caught speeding on two occasions. On May 1, 2021, he was caught going 38mph in a 30mph zone. On December 7, 2020, he was caught driving at 39mph in a 30mph zone on the A63 at Monk Fryston, North Yorkshire

Deng’s van, which he also used for work, was caught speeding once. On April 21, he was driving 57mph in a 50mph zone.

After both victims appeared to admit to police by post to being the drivers at the relevant times, they were initially prosecuted, fined and points were added to their licences.

However, an investigation was launched into all three prosecutions due to suspicions that false nominations had been made for each.

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Footage taken from the camera vans that captured Deng’s offence, and one of Choudhury’s offences, confirmed that the pair had been driving at the time.

Footage capturing Choudhury’s second offence showed an Asian male behind the wheel of the speeding vehicle and his employer corroborated that it was him driving at the time of the offence. 

They were both charged with perverting the course of justice and pleaded guilty.

Choudhury was sentenced at York Crown Court on Friday, April 19 and was handed a nine-month suspended prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. He will also have to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work within the next 12 months, pay £150 to the victim, and pay costs of £430.

On the same day at York Crown Court, Deng was also handed a six-month suspended prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. He will also have to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work within the next 12 months, pay £200 to the victim, and pay costs of £430.

Speaking after sentencing, PC Michael Ray of North Yorkshire Police’s traffic bureau, said: "Making false nominations to avoid prosecution for speeding offences is a serious criminal offence and will be robustly investigated by North Yorkshire Police. 

"The victims in these cases had to expend some considerable effort in making statutory declarations to the court that they were not responsible for the speeding offences committed.

"I’m pleased that the judge has recognised the seriousness of these offences by imposing a suspended prison sentence for both Choudhury and Deng today."

No evidence was found that Choudhury and Deng conspired together to name the first victim for their offences.