A young Tasmanian man’s impromptu plan to avoid being caught for driving and family violence offences by roping his uncle into a “false alibi” scheme has landed him in the Supreme Court.
Noah John Williams, now 21, was found driving while disqualified in August 2022 and quickly hatched a plan with the goal of tricking the police.
After fleeing a traffic stop, leaving his partner in the vehicle, Williams contacted his uncle and asked him to provide him with a false alibi, claiming he had been at his uncle’s home during the time he was seen driving.
However, his scheme quickly unraveled when his uncle refused to lie the police and revealed the truth.
Justice Tamara Jago described the scheme as “naive” and “wholly unsuccessful”, saying it only took a “simple phone call” to reveal the falsity of the claim.
“I take into account the fact that this arose from a situation of panic and was a short lived unsuccessful endeavour,” Jago said.
“You lied with the intention of avoiding the criminal consequences of your conduct.”
“I am told your endeavour … alibi arose because you panicked and were fearful of again being in trouble for driving and for breaching the Family Violence Order.”
Despite the seriousness of the peverting justice offence, Williams received a three-month suspended sentence due to his young age and learning disability.
“In all of the circumstances, a period of imprisonment is appropriate to acknowledge the seriousness of your endeavour to pervert justice, but given your individual circumstances it is appropriate that I wholly suspend that period of imprisonment,” Jago said.
