I wasn't driving, I'm dead!

Many motorists caught speeding try to claim that they weren't behind the wheel when the camera flashed. But Shafkat Munir took the dodge to a new level - by telling police he was dead.

Rather than risk losing his licence after being caught three times within weeks, he posed as a friend to inform police he had in fact been dead at the time, even sending a bogus death certificate to back up his story.

He was undone by a series of blunders, however, not least that when officers became suspicious and rang the "friend", he admitted his name was Shafkat Munir.

Yesterday the 26-year-old waiter was reflecting on the error of his ways as he began a 12-month prison sentence - and learned that had he owned up in the first place, all he would have received was fines totalling £180 and nine points on his licence.

Even his own lawyer described his attempt to evade justice as "pathetic". He said he feared losing his job as a waiter if he lost his licence and being unable to take his wife for IVF treatment at hospital in Leeds - which has subsequently led to her becoming pregnant.

However the court was told that as he had no points on his licence, the three speeding offences would not have been enough to see him banned.

Michael Gleeson, in mitigation, said his client had made a "pathetic attempt" to escape justice which was never going to be successful.

Munir was jailed for 12 months after admitting three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice. He was also banned from driving for 18 months.