THE case of a man who went on trial in his brother's name was quite remarkable, a judge said yesterday.

For two days, David Readman, 44, sat in the dock at Teesside Crown Court pretending to be his older brother, Terence.

He gave the false identity when he was arrested at a B&Q store in Middlesbrough, for obtaining property by deception after he switched the price tag on a tool box.

The shoplifter was convicted by a jury on September 9, and was sentenced as Terence Readman to a two-year community rehabilitation order and ordered to pay £200 costs.

He later confessed everything to his brother, who told him to "sort it", said Shaun Dodds, prosecuting.

Two days later, Readman walked into Hartlepool police station and gave himself up, Teesside Crown Court was told.

Readman had posed as his brother to police once before in 1983 and was later fined for obstructing police, said Mr Dodds.

Judge Tony Briggs said: "A quite remarkable tale, this.

"You should understand that if you undergo a crown court trial under effectively an assumed name there are many dangers and effectively you will get locked up.

"But in this particular matter it seems difficult to see how the outcome would have been any different if you had given your own details.

"But don't think it is a risk-free activity, it isn't."

Readman, of Flint Walk, Hartlepool, was given 100 hours community punishment and a 12-month community rehabilitation order after he pleaded guilty to carrying out an act intending to pervert public justice on his arrest, on January 28.

The judge revoked the order made at the trial in September.