Dennis Cook, who doctored an insurance certificate to make it look as if his wife was covered by it, has escaped punishment.

Cook, 64, of Colemans Close, Calne, adjusted the date on the document and produced it in a magistrates court in a bid to to get her off the hook.

But Swindon Crown Court was told that the alteration was so amateurish that it was bound to be discovered.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, said Mrs Cook was stopped by police in a routine check in January last year and asked to produce her documents.

"Mr and Mrs Cook then went to an insurance broker and obtained insurance for the vehicle," he said.

"That insurance commenced after the date she was driving as it couldn't be back-dated.

"The document was taken to court at some stage and it was pointed out that the insurance wasn't valid and didn't cover the use of the vehicle.

"It was taken away, only to emerge some time later altered to make it look like it commenced on January 3, which would have covered her driving.

"It was an amateurish hand written alteration and readily spotted."

He said Mr Cook, who had produced the document, was arrested and questioned by police in what he described as "at best a confused interview."

Cook pleaded guilty to using a document with intent to deceive. A charge of perjury was withdrawn.

The court heard that Cook had a number of previous convictions but all were old and he had not bothered the police since 1984.

Peter Codner, defending, said that his client and his wife did not have the "intellectual advantages of many people."

He said that the couple received £84 a week benefits and Mrs Cook also got a further £149 a month in mobility allowance.

Imposing a one-year conditional discharge Judge Mark Dyer said "It is unfortunate that you should come here again after such a long period away from the law, nearly 20 years.

"What you did was really done to help your wife.

"It is for that reason I can be very lenient.

"It is a great nuisance to the police, an offence like this.

"They have better things to do than chase round bits of paper."