Tilney All Saints man appears in King’s Lynn court after lying about identity to police in Wisbech

A disqualified driver pretended to be his brother after being pulled over by police – but was identified by his unique tattoos.

Robert Alexander, 37, of Shepherdsgate Road in Tilney All Saints, appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court last Thursday charged with three offences.

He pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and without third party insurance, as well as obstructing a police constable in the execution of their duty.

Crown prosecutor Nicola Lamb told magistrates that at around 7.30pm on August 6, that constable was driving along the A47 at Wisbech when he received information that a potentially banned driver was heading his way.

Alexander, when asked to stop, originally slowed down and drove into a lay-by before returning to the road and stopping in the middle of the carriageway.

He was asked three times to provide his name, with one of his juvenile passengers urging him: “Just tell him.”

However, Alexander proceeded to provide his brother’s name – and was arrested for obstructing the officer. During identification procedures, he was asked to explain his unique tattoos, but he told officers his brother had the exact same inkings as him.

However, those markings meant police were able to identify him.

Alexander had been disqualified from driving for 14 months in December last year for a drink-driving offence, meaning he was driving illegally and with no insurance when pulled over.

In mitigation, George Sorrell said: “I expect you to take a dim view of the defendant’s attitude towards the police officer at the roadside. It wasn’t commendable at all – a poor attitude.

“Rather than it being an indication of his character, it rather came out of a situation where he was in a very poor mental state and aggravated by a sense of panic when police stopped him.

“More recently, things have happened in his life which have been disastrous. Things were getting to a very low ebb.

“These are very bad things to happen, but some people can deal better than others. He is not one of them.”

The solicitor said that on the day of his offences, Anderson had taken his children to a football match in London.

His brother had driven them to the capital, but upon returning to Wisbech, Anderson opted to drive his children home to their mother.

The defendant has now secured a new job after a period of unemployment, according to Mr Sorrell.

The solicitor added: “From a situation where he found himself in the depths of despair, no wife, no job, his life has now changed.

“It looks as though I am looking for the best in him. Would you give this man the chance to grasp the opportunity to pull himself out of that despair?”

Probation services deemed Anderson fit and able to carry out unpaid work, and he was ordered to complete 100 hours of it as part of a 12-month community order imposed by magistrates.

The bench, led by Terrance Geater, also added six penalty points to his driving licence, fined him £80, and told him to pay £50 in legal costs and a £114 victim surcharge.