THE man at the wheel of a speeding car at the centre of a perverting a course of justice trial was described as a "heavy set male", a court heard today (Wednesday, June 12).

Former chairman of Cleveland Police Authority, Dave McLuckie, is accused of persuading a friend to take three penalty points for a speeding offence in April 2005 to prevent him being banned from driving.

A report from image analyst Mark Southwell was read out to jurors at Newcastle Crown Court after he was asked to study the photograph captured by the speed camera at Carlin How, east Cleveland.

Mr Southwell, who works for West Yorkshire Police, described the driver as a "heavy set" male with a large oval face, relatively close to the roof of the car, indicating above average height, with a large forehead with close cropped or receding hair.

The allegation that Mr McLuckie asked his friend, Maurice Ward, to take the points on his behalf only came to light several years later when he was dying from throat cancer.

Mr McLuckie, vice chairman of the police authority at the time of the alleged offence, already had nine points on his licence and feared a driving ban would mean he missed out on the top job.

As Mr Ward’s health deteriorated in 2011, the court heard that he became upset Mr McLuckie had not visited him in hospital and wanted to the truth to be told.

His daughter, Donna Ward, told jurors she felt ashamed of her father’s actions when she found out in July 2011 as he tried to tell two friends what had happened.

When asked by Nick Dry, prosecuting, why her father was upset, she said: “"I don't know if it was because he realised he did wrong.

"He was so mad that he took the points when Mr McLuckie had just stood down from the job he (her father) had taken the points for. He just wanted to clear his conscience.”

Under cross examination, she told defence barrister Julian Smith: “Still to this day, I can’t believe he did it. I'm ashamed that he did it, I really am. My father brought me and my brother up to tell the truth and I was shocked he had done it.”

It was Redcar and Cleveland borough councilor Mary Lanigan who contacted police over the alleged offence after Miss Ward told her what happened, the court heard.

Her brother, Nicholas, who was in a relationship with Mr McLuckie's daughter in April 2005, told the court their split later that year had been amicable, however, the relationship soured when Mr McLuckie was arrested in October last year.

The court heard about Facebook messages posted on his timeline by Nicola McLuckie.

On the day her father was due at a police station in November in relation to the allegation, she wrote ‘He is answering bail because of the sh*t your family has caused. I hope you're proud after all the things he has done for you.”

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