A hospital doctor lied that he was the driver of a car after his wife crashed into a parked Jaguar in icy conditions, a court heard.

Learner driver Chioma Ogweuleka, 37, was seen to drive off following the collision with Gary Case’s car in Sedge Crescent, Chatham, it was alleged.

Prosecutor Richard Cherrill said she returned a short while afterwards in her Vauxhall Astra and told Mr Case she had to take her children off to school or they would be late.

"At that stage you may think she was fully accepting the truth, however unfortunate it had been for her that she was the driver,” Mr Cherrill told a jury at Maidstone Crown Court."

But she was not insured to drive the car and her husband, Dr Maduka Ogweuleka, 34, subsequently made a statement claiming he had been the driver.

The couple, of Aspen Way, Chatham, deny perverting the course of justice.

"Rather strangely, he said he knew his wife should not be driving alone because she had no licence..." - Richard Cherrill, prosecting

Mr Case’s neighbour, lorry driver Paul Bentley, told how he was looking out of his kitchen window when he saw the Astra hit the Jaguar on March 11 last year.

He watched as the car stopped and a woman got out of the driver’s door, looked at the Jaguar and then drove away. There were no L plates on the car.

“He recognised her as someone who lived in Aspen Way,” said Mr Cherrill.

Mr Bentley told his neighbour and they were inspecting the damage when Mrs Ogweuleka returned alone in the Astra.

She told Mr Case about dropping off her children at school so they would not be late. Mr Case told her she should not have left the scene of an accident.

Mr Cherrill said there was discussion about sorting out payment for the damage without going through insurance companies and Mr Case said he would get a quote.

About an hour later Mr Case went to the Ogweuleka home and spoke to the wife. She was somewhat rude, so he decided to report the incident to his insurance company, said the prosecutor.

Mr Case was told that Mrs Ogweuleka was not insured to drive the car.

A couple of days later the couple went to Mr Case’s house. Dr Ogweuleka said he had been driving at the time and would pay for the damage.

“Then, rather strangely, he said he knew his wife should not be driving alone because she had no licence,” said Mr Cherrill.

“Mr Case, at that point, thought it would be sensible to report the matter to the police."

The trial continues.

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