COURT IN THE ACT; JP ends up with pounds 5,000 bill over plot to avoid pounds 60 speeding fine.

Byline: BY LAURIE HANNA

A MAGISTRATE and his teacher wife's slow-witted scheme to dodge a pounds 60 speeding fine has landed them with a pounds 5,000 bill.

Michael and Diane Rodger changed their Skoda's number plate and removed windscreen stickers in a bid to persuade police the car had been cloned. But at Derby crown court yesterday Judge David Brunning told the couple they had been "staggeringly stupid". They wept as he added he had "just been persuaded" not to jail them. Instead they got six-month suspended jail terms and told to pay pounds 5,000 in costs after admitting committing acts intending to pervert the course of justice.

Mrs Rodger, 42, was caught on camera breaking a 30mph limit on a road near their home in Bakersfield, Nottingham.

When a letter arrived requesting the identity of the driver, they hatched the plot to avoid the fine and three points on her clean driving licence.

Churchwarden Mr Rodger, 43, asked police for photos of the offence.

The court heard he looked up how to challenge speeding tickets on the internet.

He then wrote five letters to police claiming the Skoda's number plate was cloned and the pictures did not identify the driver.

He also put JP, for Justice 0f the Peace, after his name.

CAPTION(S):

PLOT Michael; DRIVER Diane