Driver jailed for blaming dead man for speeding

A 30-year-old man has been jailed after he falsely named a deceased person as the driver of a speeding car, resulting in official correspondence being sent to the dead man’s mother and causing her significant distress.

Ryan Bedford was caught driving a white Seat Ibiza at 59mph in a 50mph zone on the A465 Heads of the Valleys Road on December 13, 2024. The vehicle was a mobility car insured in the name of Benjamin Sheen, though Bedford was the registered keeper. At the time of the offence, Bedford was already a disqualified driver following a previous drug driving conviction.

The notices

A notice of intended prosecution was posted to Bedford’s address in Newport on December 17, 2024, but no reply was received. A second followed on January 8, 2025, and a third on February 4 – none of which were answered.

Prosecutor Rose Glanville told Cardiff Crown Court that the final notice was eventually returned bearing the name of Benjamin Sheen. A further notice was then sent to Mr Sheen’s address on February 6, and came back with what appeared to be his signature.

A mother’s heartbreak

However, on March 25, Mr Sheen’s mother Pamela Sheen contacted the authorities to inform them her son had passed away on October 12, 2024 – two months before the speeding offence even took place.

Bedford attended a voluntary interview on May 19, where he denied being behind the wheel and claimed he had asked someone else to drive the car after Mr Sheen’s death. When challenged over why he had nominated Mr Sheen as the driver, he said he had misunderstood the form due to dyslexia.

Independent enquiries subsequently confirmed Bedford was the person driving the Seat Ibiza on the date in question.

Pamela Sheen’s statement

In a victim personal statement read to the court by Ms Glanville, Pamela Sheen said: “My life has changed forever, I lost my son in a way no one should experience. Since that day I’ve had emptiness in my heart. I lost my eldest son a few years before. Ben was my source of comfort and laughter… I’m filled with great sorrow and miss him every day.

“This was a horrible thing to put me through. I’m upset someone has done this to me and him. It’s wrong what (the defendant) did… They have ruined Ben’s good name.”

Previous offending

The court heard Bedford, of Forge Close, Caerleon, has 12 previous convictions for offences including dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, drug driving, assault, and possession of cannabis.

Defence and sentence

In mitigation, defence barrister Sophie Keegan said her client had shown remorse and wished to apologise to Ms Sheen for the distress caused. She described his actions as a “moment of madness and panic.” The court also heard Bedford was involved in a near-fatal collision in 2023 which led to his lower right leg being amputated, and he now uses a prosthetic limb.

Sentencing, Recorder Andrew Hammond told Bedford: “You caused entirely unnecessary grief, you should be ashamed of yourself.”

Bedford, who had pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice, was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment. He was also disqualified from driving for two years and five months.