A CLARACH man let his girlfriend confess to police that she had drunkenly crashed his car when it was actually him.

Alfred Michael Day, 20, pleaded guilty to careless driving after crashing the car into a parked vehicle in the early hours of 10 March, as well as pleading guilty to a charge of wasting police time after he failed to tell police that he had been driving at the time and not his girlfriend.

Day also admitted failing to report an accident to police.

Rhian Jones, prosecuting, said police were called to Vaynor Street in Aberystwyth in the early hours after a report of a crash and a couple arguing.

The officer found a car blocking the road having suffered significant wheel arch damage. Ms Jones said it had hit a second car, pushing that vehicle into a third car.

Day’s girlfriend, Kerry Meaney, was at the crash site and she told officers that she had been drinking, had then driven the car and crashed it, adding that she had no driving licence or insurance.

Day, of 4 Hillside Estate, then turned up at the scene and told police that the car was a company car that he was insured to drive, but didn’t tell officers that he had been driving, not his girlfriend.

In a follow-up interview Ms Meaney admitted she had not been driving the car, adding that she had been covering for her boyfriend as she did not want him to lose his driving licence.

Day then admitted to police that he had been driving at the time and was probably over the drink-drive limit at the time.

He said the couple had been out drinking and had been in an argument and he chose to drive home.

Ms Jones said Day told police he had turned to look at his girlfriend and had then crashed into the other car.

He said he had left the scene to use the phone as his phone was not working, but said that he hadn’t admitted to being the driver as “he couldn’t get his words out”, and said it was a “spur of the moment” decision for his girlfriend to claim she was responsible.

Ms Jones said Ms Meaney had been cautioned by police for wasting police time.

Defence solicitor Janem Jones said it was a “moment of madness” that Day regretted saying that he had admitted that he was the driver the day after the incident.

Day was ordered to complete a 12-month community order with 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 60 hours of unpaid work.

He was given eight penalty points on his licence and will have to pay costs of £170.