A police officer who tried to avoid a speeding fine by pretending he was in pursuit of a suspect has avoided jail after a court heard of his service to community and country. Firearms officer Richard Holding was ordered to pay nearly £1,000 in fines and costs after the court was told he turned on the emergency lights of his police Range Rover when he realised he was going too fast through a speed trap. The 46-year-old, of Barras Cross, Liskeard, was caught speeding at 89mph in a 70mph zone on the A38 near Saltash on March 28 and hoped to be overlooked as an emergency vehicle. Plymouth magistrates' court heard he found a logged report of careless driving which fitted the time and place of his speeding incident and claimed he was pursuing the suspect vehicle. But when a police investigation revealed the suspect car had not been circulated over the police radio network, Holding's claim was exposed as a fabrication, the court heard. He pleaded guilty to a charge of wilfully obstructing police and was fined £450, ordered to pay a £15 surcharge and £500 court costs. His driving licence was also endorsed with three penalty points. Chairman of the bench David Libby said they were discounting a custodial sentence because of Holding's clean record and his 'great service to community and country'. He said: 'We accept that this was totally irrational and out of character.' Holding's future as a police officer will be decided by an internal disciplinary hearing. He has served in police teams during the IRA atrocities and the court heard Holding served in Iraq with the Territorial Army in 2003. His defence argued the stress of seeing his friends die contributed to him trying to dodge a speeding fine five years later. Defending barrister Simon Laws said: 'His dedication and courage have never been in doubt but he came back from Iraq as a changed man.' As well as serving in the TA for 22 years Holding was part of the team that encountered the attempted theft of diamonds from the Millennium Dome in 2000.
