TWO drivers have been jailed for lying about their speeding offences, blaming their crimes on innocent people.

Unemployed Colin Drewitt-Barlow was driving a white Ford Focus in Ditchling Road.

The 31-year-old was travelling at 36mph in a 30mph zone.

Sussex Police issued a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) to a registered address in Hove.

When there was no response, another letter was sent to Mr Drewitt-Barlow in Sompting as the car was insured to him.

Officers received a response stating he no longer lived at the address and another NIP was sent to his new home in Coleman Avenue, Hove.

Drewitt-Barlow, now of Downsway, Southwick, replied and nominated another person but officers soon discovered this was a false name and address.

He denied driving the vehicle when the offence was committed or ever owning it.

The case was then submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorised a charge of perverting the course of justice.

He pleaded not guilty but later changed his plea to guilty at Lewes Crown Court on December 12 last year and he was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment.

Another man, Ozgur Uzum, 45, a fast food employee of Salvington Road, Worthing, was caught speeding at 38mph in a 30mph zone on the M259 at Marine Parade, Brighton.

He also sped at 72mph in a 60mph zone on the A24 at West Grinstead. Mr Uzum was driving a black BMW M3 and he committed both offences on June 25, 2017.

Mr Uzum replied to the NIP with another person’s identity.

During an interrogation, he denied the offences.

However, he later changed his plea to guilty after being shown an image from the A24 offence, which clearly showed him driving the car in question.

The Crown Prosecution Service authorised two charges of perverting the course of justice, and at Lewes Crown Court on December 10, Uzum was sentenced to five months’ imprisonment.

He was also ordered to pay a £115 victim surcharge.

Chris Raynor, of the Sussex Police Camera and Ticket Process Team, said: “This operation demonstrates that no matter how long it takes, we are determined to bring to justice those who break the law and put other road users’ lives at risk.

“What may appear to be a fairly low-level offence to some, is actually one which carries a maximum term of life imprisonment.

“Had these individuals admitted their wrongdoing in the first instance, they could have escaped with a fixed penalty notice of £100 and three points on their licence, for each offence.

“Instead, they spent Christmas behind bars.”

Sussex Police launched Operation Pinocchio in 2016.

It was implemented to improve road safety while at the same time catching offenders who give false information to try to evade prosecution.