A MAN who spun an untrue tale over assisting someone with terminal illness in a bid to avoid a driving ban has been jailed for perjury.

Wayne Dickinson cited “hardship” reasons as to why he should not lose his driving licence after being convicted for motoring offences.

He told South East Northumberland magistrates, in Bedlington, that he needed his licence to enable him to transport a person suffering from a terminal illness.

The bench accepted his reasons and Dickinson was allowed to retain his licence.

But subsequent inquiries by police cast doubt over the statement, given to the hearing in February last year, and it was eventually found to be false.

It led to 39-year-old Dickinson, of Broomside Lane, Belmont, Durham, being accused of perjury.

He admitted the charge at a hearing at Newcastle Crown Court last month, and, returning for sentence, was jailed for a total of four months by Judge Brian Forster, on Wednesday (March 26).

Speaking after the case, Inspector Lisa Musgrove, of the Northumbria force’s Houghton-le-Spring neighbourhood policing team, said: “This case clearly shows that lying while in court has serious repercussions.

“This individual clearly thought he could get away with telling lies in order to retain his driving licence.

“He has since found out that the consequences of such actions have led him to lose his liberty.”

As part of the sentence Dickinson must also pay a statutory victim’s surcharge of £80.