A COUPLE’S web of lies has been exposed after cops discover their crashed car in a pond alongside bottles of beer they bought just hours before.
Police saw straight through their tales after the pair wasted thousands of taxpayers’ money and valuable emergency response time, as they plead guilty.
The couple have pleaded guilty to the incident Credit: Cheshire Constabulary
Inside the car officials found bottles of beer and identifying bank cards Credit: Cheshire Constabulary
Despite fleeing the scene on foot, Jay Price and Kelly Brown were caught out by a coat left hanging in their house – still dripping with pond water.
The alarm bells were first raised at around 8am on Thursday January 22, after a member of the public reported the submerged vehicle, concerned for anyone trapped inside.
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After five fire engines, an air ambulance, several police cars and on-the-ground ambulances arrived, rescue teams realised the car had been abandoned.
Inside the vehicle, officials discovered bottles of beer, a phone, and several identifying cards with both Brown and Price’s name on.
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A photograph and house key was also discovered on the car keys that were left in the ignition.
Knowing exactly who to look for, a search was quickly undertaken, where officers found 32-year-old Brown at the property and Price, 35, later at his workplace.
Price was later arrested over the crash, and during questioning claimed that he was watching a football match at a local pub at the time of the crash.
Checks, however, revealed that the match was not shown at the premises he claimed he was at.
Price was released on bail before the couple were re-arrested and charged in relation to the incident.
They both appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday 28 August where they pleaded guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Price also admitted driving without a licence, failing to report a collision, and driving without due care and attention.
The two have been bailed and will appear at Chester Crown Court on Friday October 9.
Police Constable Jack Pilkington of Northwich Local Policing Unit said: “I welcome the fact that Price and Brown have now finally admitted their guilt. Their elaborate scam cost taxpayers thousands of pounds and also resulted in disruption to local residents and businesses.
“Rather than just report the incident at the time of the collision, they purposely chose to attempt to pervert the course of justice and repeatedly lied to officers about what happened on that night.
“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.”
