Corrupt cabbie lied in bid to save licence

But 31-year-old Zahoor Rehman paid a far higher price after the plot was discovered.

The father of three had only held the licence for three months when first caught travelling over the limit along Sandwell Road, Handsworth on September 2, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

His Vauxhall Vectra was pictured by a speed camera doing 37mph in the 30mph zone.

When the notice of prosecution arrived he denied being behind the wheel, claiming to have sold the vehicle on July 31.

Rehman had done this but almost immediately bought back the car without notifying the authorities of the further change in ownership, revealed Mr Howard Searle, prosecuting.

Three months later, on December 2, the Vectra was pictured speeding once more on the same stretch of road and so he repeated the lie when the paperwork arrived.

But police inquiries revealed that Rehman was still working as a cabbie driving the vehicle he claimed to have sold.

He already had three penalty points when the first offence occurred and had been warned that a second speeding conviction could lead to his licence being suspended.

Rehman from Greenfield Road, Smethwick admitted two offences of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

He was given a four month sentence suspended for a year with 100 hours unpaid work and £400 costs. He was also fined £100 with three penalty points for the second speeding offence.