Cop convicted of perjury released early

The parole board said he posed little risk of re-offending. File photo / NZ Herald

A former Otago policeman who gave false evidence about a car crash he was involved in has been released early, after admitting he committed perjury.

Neil Robert Ford, 57, from Alexandra, was sentenced to two years four months in jail in September for giving false evidence at the trial of Alexandra teenager Shane Cribb, who was convicted for causing the crash in 2005.

Ford denied the charge claiming he had made a mistake and had not intentionally given false evidence.

Ford had said in a 2005 statement that Mr Cribb caused the crash by attempting to pass while he was indicating to turn right into a driveway.

But two witnesses produced evidence supporting Mr Cribb's evidence that he did not cause the crash and the court found that Ford was doing a U-turn at the time of the crash.

Ford was released after telling the Parole Board this month he accepted responsibility for giving false evidence when Alexandra teenager Shane Cribb was convicted for causing the crash in 2005, Fairfax Media reported.

In a decision released yesterday the board said he had been well behaved since going to prison in October last year and posed little risk of re-offending.

- NZPA