A Pool motorist has been jailed for three months after trying to dodge getting penalty points on his driving licence when he was caught speeding.

Paul Lilley claimed his Jaguar car was being driven by another man when it was clocked by a speed camera travelling at 88 mph in a 70 limit on the A1 at Great Ponton near Grantham, Lincolnshire.

Georgina Gibbs, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court that when Lilley was asked by police to name the driver he claimed a man called Phil Stephens, who lived in Leeds, was behind the wheel. He said Mr Stephens was test-driving the car with a view to buying it.

But when police checked out the address given for Mr Stephens in Village Place, Leeds, they discovered it was a boarded-up building.

Miss Gibbs said that Lilley was spoken to by Lincolnshire Police in January 2012.

“He said he had been travelling home and gave someone a lift to Leeds. The man expressed an interest in buying his car and en route they swapped places and the other man drove. He said he dropped off this person between Hyde Park and Headingley.”

The following month Lilley went to Otley police station and again claimed that “Phil Stephens” was the driver when the car triggered the speed camera.

Subsequently he claimed to have muddled up the dates telling officers he had “severe memory problems”.

Lilley, 55, of Pool Bank Close, Pool-in-Wharfedale, admitted perverting the course of justice between 21 December 2011 and 8 March 2012 and also admitted speeding on 12 December 2011.

The court heard he had a clean driving licence at the time he was caught by the camera and would have only received a small fine and three penalty points on his licence.

His barrister Georgina Coade urged that Lilley be given a suspended jail sentence rather than immediate custody.

She told the court: “He falls to be sentenced for providing false information to avoid the imposition of speeding points. Nobody else was arrested or spoken to by the police.

“The nature of the deception was not sophisticated. It is hugely regrettable. He has hitherto led a wholly law abiding life.

“He has always worked. He had a successful career in information technology and he is now semi-retired. He has launched a website in his local area to promote local businesses. He offers assistance to local enterprises. Furthermore he offers space on his website to charities and charitable causes. The defendant offers a great deal to his local community.”

But Judge Sean Morris told Lilley “This smacks of arrogance. You thought you were above the law and that people like you did not need to follow the laws everybody else has to follow. You set about a long and determined course of conduct to pervert the course of justice. It has to be an immediate prison sentence.”

The judge imposed three penalty points on Lilley’s licence.