Jail is right sentence, says judge

Dismissing the appeal, the judge at Lewes Crown Court told him he was lucky not to have been charged with perverting the course of justice.

When Jason Headech was stopped by police on July 20, he gave his brother s name to escape arrest.

But after checking his brother s details, officers realised they had been conned and arrested Headech.

Headech, of Buxton Drive, admitted driving while disqualified and driving with no insurance and was jailed for three months by magistrates on August 21.

But he appealed against the decision saying he had been forced to take over the wheel because his work colleague had been driving recklessly.

Paul Rogers, prosecuting, told Lewes Crown Court Headech had three previous convictions for driving while disqualified.

He said: When a police motorcyclist stopped him on July 20 he claimed to be Kevin Paul Headech and gave his date of birth.

But when the information was checked they found it was not true and they caught up with him.

He admitted he was disqualified and said, Let s get on with it .

The court heard 30-year-old Headech had been disqualified for 12 months in September last year so only had two months left to go before he could apply to get his licence back.

Guy Russell, defending, said: The report of the incident makes it clear that the person who was giving him a lift was driving recklessly so he stupidly took the wheel.

I feel due to the circumstances he should not have been given a custodial sentence. He is very close to his children and common-law wife and is worried he may lose his job.

He has already been in custody for a short time and this has given him a chance to think about what he has done so I ask you not to let his family suffer any further.

Dismissing the appeal, Judge Guy Anthony said: This was a serious offence and we are unimpressed by the circumstances behind it.

If a man is not able to drive to work there are other ways of getting there.

Mr Headech was lucky not to have been charged with perverting the course of justice for pretending to be his younger brother.

We have come to the conclusion this was not an unfair sentence and this appeal is dismissed.