The vice-chairman of Cleveland Police Authority persuaded a friend to take his speeding points because he was afraid a conviction would jeopardise his chances of landing the top job, a court was told yesterday.

Dave McLuckie is accused of persuading his friend, Maurice Ward, to take three penalty points when his car was caught in a speed trap in April 2005. Mr McLuckie, who became chairman of the police authority two months later, already had nine points on his licence and faced a driving ban.

Yesterday he appeared at Newcastle Crown Court charged with perverting the course of justice

Nick Dry, prosecuting, said that a black Peugeot, registered to the defendant, was caught doing 36mph in a 30mph zone through the east Cleveland village of Carlin How near Skelton, where the pair both lived.

Mr McLuckie, who was the vice chairman of the authority at the time, denies the charge claiming that his friend had access to his car and was driving it on the day it was captured speeding.

Mr Dry said Mr McLuckie didn't specifically deny being the driver, but claimed he had spoken to Mr Ward who agreed he had probably been driving the car on that occasion.

The car was registered and insured in Mr McLuckie's name.

However, Mr Ward’s widow, Nancy, told the court that she heard the Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council Labour member ask her husband for a "big favour" as he didn’t want to miss the chance of being appointed the chairman of the police authority by getting a driving ban.

Mrs Ward told the court the two families knew each other from living together in Skelton.

Her son began a relationship with Mr McLuckie’s daughter and the families would watch Middlesbrough FC in an executive box .

She said her husband had written a letter on Christmas Day 2009, that he wanted delivering to the local newspaper to expose what he had done for his then-friend but she had put it in drawer.

Mr Ward, who was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2007, felt aggrieved that Mr McLuckie hadn’t visited him in hospital where he was undergoing treatment.

When asked if she knew what was written in the letter in the sealed envelope, she replied: “Oh I knew, Dave McLuckie came to ask if Maurice would do a big favour, if he would take the points after he was caught speeding.”

However, it was as he was becoming seriously ill in 2011 that he decided that he needed to tell people what really happened, according to his wife.

But the police were not informed until after the death of the father-of-two in January 2012.

“He wanted to take it further, but he was too ill,” his widow told the court. “Someone got to know about it, I don’t know how really, but that’s how the police got to know.”

Under cross examination, defence barrister Julian Smith asked Mrs Ward if her husband hated Mr McLuckie during his illness.

She replied that her husband was angry, but wouldn’t hate anyone.

Mr Smith said: “I will put it to you that Dave McLuckie was not unfair or unreasonable. Far from it, he tried to help him."

Under re-examination, Mr Dry asked the widow if she was giving evidence in court as a way seeking revenge.

She replied: "Not really, no. It is my husband that's all. That is all I am doing it for."

The trial of the 51-year-old from Great Ayton, North Yorkshire, continues.