A man who gave police his brother’s identity claiming he panicked when stopped by officers for traffic offences was jailed for a total of nine months yesterday.

Alan Richards, for the Crown, told Magistrates’ Court that police stopped Brenton Robinson, 62, of Pembroke, for traffic offences in October and November last year.

When officers asked for his name, Robinson told them on both occasions that he was his brother Brandon, who has lived overseas for years.

Robinson appeared in court on Monday, September 12, and pleaded guilty to the traffic offences, again claiming to be Brandon.

But during that hearing, probation officer Norvell Furbert, who has known Brandon for many years, told the court that the defendant before them was in fact Brenton Robinson.

Robinson appeared in court again yesterday, charged with falsely claiming to be Brandon as well as other traffic offences.

Patricia Harvey, Robinson’s lawyer, told senior magistrate Maxanne Anderson that Robinson panicked when police stopped him, which is why he provided them with the wrong name.

Ms Anderson highlighted the gravity of the offence to Robinson, saying: “We can’t have people coming to court pretending to be someone else and the offence shows that you have no regard for your own brother.”

As Robinson was unable to pay the traffic fines, Ms Anderson sentenced him to an additional six months behind bars for the traffic offences. They include using an unlicensed cycle, having no insurance and no valid driver’s licence.