A COUPLE have gone on trial accused of providing misleading evidence in support of their defence to a county court action.

Husband and wife Mark and Ann Joughin are alleged to have put forward documents and made representations they knew to be false, prior to, and at the hearing at Durham County Court, in March 2012.

The small claims case was brought against the Joughins by builder Andrew Radford who claimed they owed him £3,500 for remedial work to their home in the village of Satley, near Lanchester, County Durham.

They claimed the remedies were required because of sub-standard work he had previously carried out, and so refused to pay.

Ros Scott Bell, prosecuting, said in defence to the civil proceedings brought by Mr Radford the Joughins provided a statement by an “independent” expert, Craig Winn, who they claimed to have looked up on the internet.

But Miss Scott Bell said Mr Winn was actually the partner of Mrs Joughin’s sister and had previously met them at family celebrations.

She said the couple also falsely claimed an architect on behalf of insurers was considering legal action against Mr Radford, but when police approached him he denied this which, she said, was “in effect another lie written down in submissions to the court.”

They also backed up their evidence with what Miss Scott Bell said was the “fabricated” evidence of another witness.

She added: “The prosecution’s case is that they have conducted their defence by firstly providing documents to the court, and then by making oral representation in court, they knew to be false.”

Ann Joughin, 43, and 48-year-old Mark Joughin, both deny two counts each of doing acts tending or intended to pervert the course of justice.

The trial continues tomorrow (Thursday October 16).