Motorists use con trick to avoid fines

More than 200 Australian motorists have avoided parking and speeding fines by blaming either a dead man or an interstate resident for their errors in what Sydney police said today may be a widespread fraud.

Under New South Wales state law, if a car owner signs a sworn statement that they were not driving the vehicle when an offence was committed, they can avoid paying speed camera fines, which arrive by mail, and parking tickets left under windshield wipers.

A recent government audit of the excuses given in those sworn statements revealed that 238 motorists had blamed one of two people - a dead man who had, when alive, lived in Sydney and a person living in neighbouring South Australia state - Police Superintendent Daryl Donnolly said in a statement.

Some 80,000 Australian dollars (€47,482) worth of fines have been avoided this way in the past three years, Donnolly said.

He did not identify the scapegoats or explain why police had not uncovered the scam by pursuing the pair for the money owed.

Donnolly said 49 of those car owners have since been charged with swearing false statements and face up to five years' imprisonment. The others will be questioned as part of a police crackdown, he said.

"These offences amount to fraud and, if proven, those involved could face stiff penalties," Donnolly told reporters.