A "cowardly" man tried to wriggle out of justice by pretending to be his brother - not once but on three separate occasions - when stopped by police.
Lee Johnson had failed to attend court for offences of criminal damage and common assault committed in October 2020. He had been released on bail but failed to attend the magistrates' court in December that year.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that police officers questioned him after stopping a car on the M6 in which he was a passenger on February 13 last year.
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Chris Hopkins, prosecuting, said: "He gave his brother's details and was warned for being in breach of covid rules."
Just three weeks later on March 5 he was stopped while a passenger in a taxi in Valley Road, Kirkby. He again gave his brother's details. He was cautioned and reported for failing to wear a face covering in public transport without reasonable excuse.
Mr Hopkins said that such offences result in a fixed penalty notice and so he had put his brother at risk of receiving such a notice.
On March 30 his mum contacted the police having received that fixed penalty notice to say that neither son left the house without supervision as they had learning difficulties. An officer attended and confirmed that the brother was not the person he had spoken to on March 5.
Four days later Johnson was stopped by police in Kirkby and found to be in possession of a cannabis joint. "He again gave his brother's details," said Mr Hopkins.
Police enquiries led to Johnson being interviewed in August and he made no comment.
Paul Becker, defending, said that Johnson, 20, was immature but had not been in trouble recently. He witnessed domestic violence as a child and his mum had submitted a letter on his behalf.
He has been helping his terminally ill grandmother and also works in his mum's pub two days a week. Mr Becker said: "He has stopped taking cannabis and stopped offending."
Johnson, of Park Brow Road, Kirkby, pleaded guilty to three offences of attempting to pervert the course of justice and possessing cannabis.
The judge, Recorder Ian Harris told the defendant: "You are an immature individual, you are a cowardly individual.
"You have no respect for rules and you broke the law. You had been persistent and had no regard to warnings you had had and you flagrantly flouted the law."
He pointed out that his lies could have had "dreadful consequences" for his brother, who is not well, as he could have been arrested and taken to a police station.
Recorder Harris sentenced him to six months' imprisonment suspended for 18 months and ordered him to carry out 120 hours unpaid work and 20 days rehabilitation activities. He also fined him £100.
He told him: "If you take the view that you cannot be bothered doing those days or unpaid work you will brought back to court. I would take that as an indication you would rather leave through the door to the cells."
