AN IPSWICH mother who lied in court about paying a fine has been warned that she could be sent to prison when she is sentenced next month.Christine Harrison was found guilty by a jury at Ipswich Crown Court yesterday of attempting to pervert the course of justice and two offences of perjury.
AN IPSWICH mother who lied in court about paying a fine has been warned that she could be sent to prison when she is sentenced next month.
Christine Harrison was found guilty by a jury at Ipswich Crown Court yesterday of attempting to pervert the course of justice and two offences of perjury. She had denied the offences.
Adjourning the case for a pre-sentence report Recorder Michael Pooles told Harrison that there was a real possibility that she could be sent to prison.
The court heard that Harrison, of Downing Close, Ipswich tried to get out of paying a fine by producing a forged receipt that she claimed showed she had paid the money to a bailiff.
Harrison was ordered to pay £540 by the town's magistrates in 1999 for failing to ensure her children attended school. She paid £2 off the fine and then nothing more and last year was brought back before the magistrates.
On that day she paid £100 and told the court on oath that she had paid £425 to a bailiff.
She produced a receipt which she claimed showed she had paid the money. However it was discovered that the receipt had been issued to Harrison in 1998 by a bailiff when she had paid £25 off an earlier fine.
The date and the amount paid on the receipt had been altered.
Giving evidence Harrison accepted the receipt had been altered but said she had not tampered with it and did not know who had.s
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