An ‘idiotic’ driver has been jailed for giving his brother’s name and details just hours after appearing in court for doing exactly the same thing.

Ryan Gillard was stopped just before midnight on the same day he had been fined £80 by magistrates for obstructing police but was not deterred and once again gave the name and date of birth of his older brother Ian.

Police discovered that Ian Gillard was a disqualified driver but allowed the front seat passenger to carry on with the journey after Gillard passed a roadside breath test.

It was only when officers checked Ian Gillard’s details and were preparing to send him a court summons that the police realised they had been deceived.

The motor patrol constable dealing with the case happened to recognise Ryan Gillard on a display of people who police were interested in and double-checked the body cam footage of the incident, which proved it was Ryan and not his brother.

Ryan Gillard, 27, formerly of St Paul’s Road, Honiton but now of Turner Rise, Tiverton, admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice and was jailed for three months by Judge Marcus Davey, QC, at Exeter Crown Court.

He told him:”This has been described by your counsel as an act of utter stupidity, and I accept that because your brother Ian was disqualified. The seriousness of this is that he risked prosecution.”

Miss Felicity Payne, prosecuting, said Ryan Gillard was stopped just before midnight on January 18 this year in Tiverton as a suspected drink driver, but blew a negative roadside test.

He was driving a friend’s Vauxhall Corsa and lied about his true identity because had no licence or insurance, giving the details of his 32-year-old brother.

Miss Payne said the officer who stopped him discovered that Ian was disqualified but allowed Gillard to carry on as a passenger after he mounted ‘a charm offensive’ and persuaded him there was an error on the police national computer.

The police were about to send a postal requisition to Ian Gillard when they realised the error and arrested Ryan for perverting the course of justice.

Miss Payne said Ryan Gillard had convictions for 19 previous offences, including one for obstructing police by giving his brother’s details in October 2021. He had done the same thing on Christmas Eve last year but not been prosecuted for it.

Mr Simon Burns, defending, said: “This was a ridiculously stupid offence. He was in a panic and had a moment to total idiocy. He apologises. This was utter idiocy and not a sophisticated criminal attempt to pervert the course of justice.”

Gillard has been in custody since his arrest in February and will be released very shortly because he only has to serve half of the three-month sentence.