Speeding schemer banged up after wild web of lies to dodge fine
A crafty motorist spun an outrageous web of deceit to escape a speeding ticket – but it all unravelled, landing him a 12-month jail term.
Fantasist’s tall tales exposed in courtroom drama
Christopher Henry, 52, pulled every trick in the book to avoid a £100 fine and three penalty points. He claimed a Frenchman with the same name as a famous Paris wax museum was behind the wheel. He forged documents and even blamed a mysterious man from the Outer Hebrides. His lies stretched all the way to French Interpol and a postmistress on the Isle of Lewis.
But Hampshire Police didn’t buy a single word. After a two-year investigation, Henry was convicted at Winchester Crown Court for perverting the course of justice on three counts.
French wax museum man and mystery islander gaslight exposed
The saga began in February 2016, when Henry was clocked speeding on the A343 Newbury Road in his ex-wife’s Freelander. When the ticket arrived for his ex, Henry intercepted the letter and began his charade.
- He filled out the paperwork in his ex-wife’s name, claiming a French national living at his address was the driver and new owner.
- Paperwork was sent to this ‘driver’, who then alleged that a George Harris from the Isle of Lewis was responsible — a man no one could find.
- Interpol debunked the Frenchman’s identity, revealing his name matched a Paris wax museum and his supposed address was a hotel with no record of him ever staying or working there.
The local postmistress on Lewis was baffled — she’d never heard of Harris, Musee, or Henry himself. Officers found Henry’s fingerprints on the forged paperwork, not his ex-wife’s.
Voice evidence and forged emails seal the deal
Henry denied ever driving or accessing the Freelander – until police caught his voice on AA callouts from the Freelander when it broke down twice. He also faked sale documents to the DVLA, set up fake emails, and doctored insurer emails to cover his tracks.
PC Richard Jewell said: “Hampshire police takes road safety seriously. It’s wrong to lie and avoid responsibility under the Road Traffic Act. This case shows we investigate such lies fully and prosecute where evidence exists.”
“The judge’s sentence sends a clear message: it’s not worth the risk. Henry could have accepted points and a fine — now he’s got a criminal record and time behind bars.”
Henry also refused to respond to the original ticket, was prosecuted in his absence, fined £800, given six points, then upon appeal had the fine hiked to £1,600 plus a three-month driving ban.
Justice has caught up with the fantasist – and the speeding saga ended in a prison cell.
