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'Callous' businessman used dying wife to dodge speeding tickets

Laird was sentenced at York Crown Court. (PA/North Yorkshire Police)
Laird was sentenced at York Crown Court. (PA/North Yorkshire Police)

A “callous” businessman tried to dodge speeding tickets by blaming his dying wife and elderly family members.

Andrew Laird tried to dodge 16 speeding tickets issued by various police forces by claiming he hadn’t been driving on any of the occasions.

Among those he said were driving were his wife, whose serious illness meant she was unable to get behind a wheel. She has since died, North Yorkshire Police said.

The 51-year-old from Fryton, North Yorkshire, also claimed two other family members had been driving, even though one was an elderly relative who couldn’t because of a serious medical condition.

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Andrew Laird was given a suspended prison sentence. (PA/North Yorkshire Police)
Andrew Laird was given a suspended prison sentence. (PA/North Yorkshire Police)

Laird admitted 16 counts of perverting the course of justice and a further charge of fraud, which took place between 2015 and 2018, at York Crown Court on Friday.

Judge Sean Morris gave him a two-year prison term suspended for 12 months, but he escaped being disqualified from driving because of exceptional circumstances.

The judge was told he has been through a tough time. He will no longer be able to work as a financial adviser, which police said was among his business interests.

A general view of York Crown Court, York.
Laird was sentenced at York Crown Court. (PA)

Detective Sergeant Kirsten Aldridge said: “It’s sickening that Laird deliberately targeted the most vulnerable members of his family – those who could not speak up for themselves. We hope this has given them a voice.

“The court heard how Laird had been going through a difficult time, but nevertheless his actions were callous and calculated.

“It’s difficult to imagine how anyone with morals could implicate vulnerable loved ones in this way.

“Laird was put before the courts as a result of a significant police investigation. And while it’s disappointing that his conviction for these serious offences did not result in a custodial sentence today, this case speaks volumes about the defendant.”

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