A WOMAN claims she was forced by her ex-partner to take the blame for a series of speeding tickets despite him being behind the wheel, a court heard.

Rebecca Ayres is standing trial for allegedly perverting the course of justice over two incidents in 2017 where a Ford Focus was caught speeding.

She is accused of providing false documents so she received points on her licence, rather than her former partner.

However, the 39-year-old of Silverdale Avenue, Westcliff, told police she was forced into taking the blame and assaulted.

Ayres denies the two counts against her on the grounds that she was under duress to fill out the forms.

Prosecuting at Basildon Crown Court, Richard Paton-Philip told the jury of six men and women that the speeding offences happened on May 27 and June 2, 2017.

He said: “He [the partner] was driving a Ford Focus that was flashed by a speed camera and was exceeding the speed limit.

“It was him who was driving that car. If you’re flashed by the speed camera the likelihood is you will be sent paperwork by the police.

“It came to Ms Ayres who was the keeper of the vehicle.

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“She put her details in the relevant part of the forms. Those forms were returned later detailing herself to be the driver.

“Fast forward to 2019, a couple of years later, on January 15 she made a complaint to the police about him, by this stage, her ex-partner.

“She made allegations of assault and that he forced her to take points on her licence for speeding offences that he committed.”

Mr Paton-Philip said following a police investigation, no further action was taken on allegations of assault but perverting the course of justice was pursued against both the man and Ayres.

He told the jury it was for them to decide whether they accept that Ayres was under duress at the time of filling out the forms.

He added: “You will hear that Ms Ayres in due course will assert that she was forced by her ex-partner to fill out those forms in that way.

“This is the important part in the case and the real question is whether she was in the legal terms, under duress at the time.”

The trial continues.