Winsford couple sentenced after lying to police over crash that saw car in pond
Emergency crews including a fire boat and air ambulance were sent to the scene
A couple from Winsford have been sentenced after admitting trying to pervert the course of justice following a crash in the town.
35-year-old Jay Price and 32-year-old Kelly Brown, of Cavendish Close, Winsford, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Monday 12th October, having earlier pleaded guilty to committing a series of acts with intent to pervert the course of public justice.
Price also admitted driving without a licence, failing to report a collision, and driving without due care and attention.
He was sentenced to 22 months in prison and banned from driving for 620 days.
Brown was sentenced to three months in prison, suspended for 12 months.
The collision
Police said a member of the public contacted them shortly after 8am on Thursday 22nd January, after seeing an overturned car in a pond at the Salt Mine on Bradford Road.
Due to concerns about potential casualties, police said multiple patrols were sent to the scene, along with five fire engines, a fire boat, ambulances and an air ambulance.
After searching the vehicle and the pond, it became apparent the occupants had fled the scene, police said.
The car was recovered from the pond, and police said a search found several bottles of Budweiser, a mobile phone, a bank card belonging to Brown, and a Montirex jacket containing a bank card belonging to Price.
The keys were also found in the ignition, on a keyring that also held a house key and a photo of Price and Brown, police said.
DVLA checks showed the car was registered to Price.
Police said they also recovered CCTV footage from a nearby business showing the car spinning uncontrollably on the road at 9:09pm on Wednesday 21st January, before crashing through a fence and into the pond.
The investigation
Officers attended the couple's house on Cavendish Close but said only Brown was present.
Police said that when spoken to, Brown claimed she had been home at the time of the collision.
A search of the address found a damp Montirex jacket drying in the kitchen, which police said appeared to be covered in salt consistent with the pond where the car was found.
Police said they then attended Price's workplace to check he was safe and well.
Price was later arrested in connection with the collision.
During questioning, he claimed he had sold the car for one thousand four hundred pounds to a man known as "Fletchy" on the night of the collision, while at a local pub, but had no proof of the sale, police said.
He also claimed he had been watching a football match at a local pub at the time of the crash, but police said checks showed the match had not been shown at the venue he named.
Price was released on bail while further enquiries continued.
Police said additional CCTV footage was later recovered showing a man and a woman walking along Bradford Road shortly after the crash.
Officers also recovered CCTV footage of Price and Brown together at a local supermarket twenty minutes before the collision, showing the pair buying a crate of Budweiser.
Police said the couple were wearing clothing matching the footage from Bradford Road, that Price was carrying the bank card later recovered in the car, and that he appeared to be carrying keys matching those found in the vehicle.
The footage also showed the couple driving away from the store towards the location of the crash, police said.
Following the evidence gathered, the couple were charged in connection with the collision.
Police reaction
Police Constable Jack Pilkington, of Northwich Local Policing Unit, said: "Following the collision Price and Brown set about an elaborate scheme in order to evade justice.
"Rather than just report the collision, they purposely chose to attempt to pervert the course of justice and repeatedly lied to officers about what happened on that night.
"Their deceit cost taxpayers thousands of pounds and also resulted in disruption to local residents and businesses.
"However, their plans were clearly doomed from the outset, and as a result of the evidence we gathered they were left with no option but to plead guilty to the charges against them and have now been held accountable for their actions," PC Pilkington said.