A TEENAGER told a court she had swapped seats with her then-boyfriend to take the blame after a police pursuit.
Deanna Carter-Coleman appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court to hear her previous conviction would be quashed after she said she was unaware of an earlier hearing.
Carter-Coleman, of Layamon Walk, Stourport, denied a charge of driving a vehicle otherwise than in accordance with a licence and driving without insurance.
Carter-Coleman is alleged to have driven a Volkswagen Touran without a valid licence or insurance on December 1, 2021, on the A458.
At the start of the hearing on Tuesday, (August 10) Carter-Coleman, who appeared unrepresented, said the letter notifying her of the case had been delivered but her mum, who had subsequently died, had put it somewhere and she had not found it until after the hearing.
Magistrates accepted her explanation, quashing the previous conviction and telling her she would not be punished with six penalty points and a fine.
After entering not guilty pleas the court clerk asked the 19-year-old for her reason.
She replied: "I swapped seats because I didn't want him to get into trouble.
"I lied to police.
"I swapped seats with him to make it look like I had been driving - we were both wearing black coats.
"Basically I took the blame."
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The court clerk told Prosecutor Mark Hambling he had checked the police statement and nowhere on it did it say Carter-Coleman had been driving, only that police had found her in the driving seat after the pursuit on the A458 Shrewsbury to Bridgenorth.
Mr Hambling said in a trial the crown would likely want to call the officer involved in the case and show dashcam footage of the pursuit that he expected would be available.
Magistrates told Carter-Coleman they would adjourn for a case management hearing that will take place at the Worcester court on August 23.
Magistrates also advised Carter-Coleman to get legal representation for that hearing and the subsequent trial.
Carter-Coleman was given unconditional bail.
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