A FATHER-of-two gave police his brother’s name to avoid being convicted of driving offences, a court heard.

Alexander Hemsworth, 25, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for a year.

His actions had left his oblivious brother Jake with a conviction and hefty fine.

It was only when Jake Hemsworth tried to apply for a job as a tour bus driver in March that he discovered his licence had been endorsed with six points and he owed the court £660 plus costs.

Unbeknown to him, he had been convicted in his absence last December after Alexander Hemsworth gave his name and date of birth when asked to produce his driving documents at a police station.

The defendant, who had no relevant driving licence and no insurance, had been spoken to by police officers on July 28, 2017 when their patrol car pulled alongside his stationary Vauxhall Astra van on the A494.

Prosecuting at Mold Crown Court, Jo Maxwell said Alexander Hemsworth told them he had run out of petrol and was waiting for a friend to bring some.

Alexander Hemsworth, of Penycraig, Denbigh, said it was his friend’s grandfather’s van and he was only insured to drive it for that day.

He was told to take his documents to a police station within seven days, but failed to do so and then gave Jake Hemsworth’s details together with his own address when told he would face driving charges in court.

Miss Maxwell said: “When he [Jake] discovered he had been convicted he was shocked. He suffered from sleepless nights as a result. He said he had been left sick with worry about it.”

Interviewed by North Wales Police, Hemsworth made full admissions about what he had done.

“He accepted he had provided false details saying it was a spur of the moment decision as he only had a provisional licence and no insurance,” Miss Maxwell said.

Bizarrely, he then pleaded not guilty when the case initially got to court but following further legal advice changed his plea and accepted what he had done.

Jonathan Austin, defending, said the experience had taken its toll on the defendant and his family. He has a long-term partner and two children, one of whom has “particular needs and issues”.

Explaining his client’s actions, the barrister said: “Rather than simply pluck a name out of the air or reel off a name from a shop window, which is what some people might do, he’s given the name of a family member and his own address.

“He then appears to have stuck his head in the sand and hoped the matter would go away.”

Mr Austin said Alexander Hemsworth had reconciled with his brother and apologised profusely. He was unable to work after suffering a spinal injury in an accident.

Sentencing, Judge Niclas Parry said cases of perverting the course of justice were serious as they “strike at the core of the criminal justice system”.

He added: “It also caused a quite innocent man to be convicted and caused the distress that was bound to follow from the discovery of that.

“This was dreadfully mean and your brother’s decency shines through this case and is endorsed by the letter he has written to the court.

“Your brother has had the decency to implore me not to send you to custody because of the effect it would have on your family.”

On top of the suspended prison sentence, Judge Parry also disqualified Alexander Hemsworth from driving for six months.