Dewi George admitted perverting the course of justice
By Lucy Vladev & Rowenna Hoskin
BBC Wales News
A man has been jailed for accepting speeding points on behalf of his 17-year-old son, who went on to be involved in a fatal crash.
Dewi George, 44, pretended to have been driving the car at the time of the speeding offence – despite actually being at his place of work.
Three months later, his teenage son was involved in a fatal crash in which two people died.
George pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.
Swansea Crown Court heard a police speed camera caught an image of an Alpha Romeo speeding on Cockett Road, Swansea, on 28 February 2022.
Prosecution barrister Sian Cutter said because the “image was blurred”, the male behind the wheel could not be clearly identified.
‘Got away scot-free’
George, of Birchgrove in Swansea, admitted to the offence in response to a Notice of Intended Prosecution and accepted a speed awareness course as punishment.
But the court heard that this version of events was “not possible” after automatic number-plate recognition (ANPR) records, and George’s boss, confirmed that he was in fact at work in Cardiff at the time.
Further police investigations revealed that George’s son was “in the vicinity of the speed camera at 12:05 on that day”.
The court heard George told officers “his son had only just passed his test” and he was therefore “worried his son would be banned from driving”.
Judge Thomas KC said this meant George’s son “was not in any way sanctioned” and got away “scot-free”.
The judge noted that a few months later on 31 May 2022, George’s son “had three passengers in his car” when the vehicle crashed at a petrol station in Bishopston, Swansea.
Dewi George appeared in front of Judge Paul Thomas KC
“Tragically two young people died and a third was seriously injured,” the judge continued.
“Although I am not making any assumptions about that incident, the anger of the families of those children must be immense and if they draw a correlation between the two events, who can possibly blame them.”
The judge continued: “He learnt no lesson other than his father would lie to get him off the hook and within three months he was behind the wheel of that Alpha Romeo when two young people lost their lives.
“Had it not been for that, your deception would have gone unnoticed.”
Members of the victims’ family wept in the public gallery as the judge continued to address George in the dock.
“Even after you knew two young people had died, you continued to pretend you were the driver,” the judge said.
“You even went on a speed awareness course two weeks after.”
Defence counsel Kate Williams said George had taken his son’s speeding points out of “misplaced loyalty”.
George pleaded guilty to one count of perverting the course of justice and was sentenced to four months in prison.
Judge Thomas said he was convinced George’s remorse was “sincere” and acknowledged the impact the sentence would have on his family who, by George’s own admission, he had “let down”.
