FORMER heavyweight boxer Martin Rogan was given a conditional discharge yesterday after he admitted perverting the course of justice.
The 48-year old taxi driver - who was branded a "credit to the community" for his charity work - was due to stand trial alongside wife Fiona on a charge linked to an incident last February.
Rogan's Audi was detected on a speed camera on the Antrim Road in Belfast being driven at 40mph in a 30mph area on February 22, and while he initially claimed he was driving the taxi, he later contacted the Fixed Penalty Office to claim his wife had been behind the wheel.
Mrs Rogan filled in a form claiming she was driving the car on the night in question, which subsequently led to the couple being arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice by providing 'false particulars' on the Fixed Penalty forms.
The couple, from Glen River Park in Glenavy, were due to stand trial at Belfast Crown Court. However, the father-of-three changed his plea to guilty after a jury was directed by a judge to acquit his wife.
Prosecutor Gareth Purvis cited the case against Rogan as "unusual" and said that when Rogan later accepted he was the driver, he failed to notify the relevant authorities, which led to a police investigation.
Part of this, Mr Purvis said, was establishing with Fonacabs that Rogan had been working when the taxi was detected speeding.
Defence barrister Stephen Toal spoke of memory issues and "chronic trauma" now experienced by Rogan as a result of his boxing career.
Mr Toal revealed "there was a point when he realised, having thought about it, that he was the driver" .
Mr Toal ended his submission by raising the "selfless" work his client does to help others, including work with charities such as the NI Hospice and Suicide Awareness, as well as cross-community initiatives.
Judge Finnegan noted this charity work and told Rogan "you are a credit to the community, as far as I'm concerned."
The judge handed Rogan a 12-month conditional discharge.
