A BANNED driver gave his brother’s details to police when stopped while illegally at the wheel of a car.

Michael Nicholas Fairish was serving a driving disqualification when he was pulled over by police at Dipton near Stanley in March last year and gave his brother Stephen’s name, address and date of birth.

Durham Crown Court heard he was sent on his way but, as he subsequently failed to attend a police station with an insurance document, a court summons was sent to his brother’s address.

Ian West, prosecuting, said the bemused Stephen Fairish, who had a clean driving licence, told police he was unaware of the offence and so the traffic officer involved in the incident went to his home and confirmed he was not the person he pulled over.

Mr West said Stephen Fairish told police he was sure his brother, Michael, had done it previously.

The officer then went to Michael Fairish’s home and confirmed he was the person driving the Vectra, on the day in question.

He was charged with driving while disqualified and doing an act tending or intended to pervert the course of justice.

Fairish pleaded guilty at the first hearing in the case, but denied a subsequent charge of driving while disqualified, dating from August last year, when the same officer stopped him at the wheel of a Vauxhall Corsa, in Craghead, near Stanley.

Mr West said the officer interviewed him at the roadside, and he made admissions to driving while disqualified.

He later denied the offence, claiming he could not have been driving as he had removed the battery from the car, and a trial date was set for December 15.

When he failed to attend for trial, a warrant was issued for his arrest, and he appeared in court via video link from Durham Prison, having handed himself in to police on December 29.

During the video hearing, 31-year-old Fairish, of Edward Street, Stanley, changed his plea to guilty for the August offence of driving while disqualified and also admitted driving without insurance, on both that date and in the March incident.

The court heard the offences this year put him in breach of suspended prison sentence from last year.

Tony Davis, mitigating, said Fairish drove, in both cases, in a bid to find work, and had subsequently landed a good job supervising the laying of fibre optic cables.

But, jailing him for a total of 12 months, Judge Simon Hickey said it was “fortunate” Fairish’s brother was not arrested while events were investigated.

Judge Hickey also banned Fairish from driving for a further 21 months.