Pretending to be his brother did no favours for Jason Carvello when he was questioned by Police.

Realising he was in breach of a probation order, the 23-year-old Hamilton Parish man thought he could escape the law if he tricked officers into thinking he was his brother Michael.

But his plan backfired when Police checked their records and found a warrant had been issued for the arrest of Michael Carvello regarding another matter.

As a result Carvello found himself hauled into Magistrates Court to explain himself and was given no sympathy from Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner who, on hearing of the attempt to avoid being apprehended, said: “You used the name of Michael Carvello who was wanted on another charge — that was real<$> smart.”

On probation for a previous conviction for stealing, Carvello, of Abbot’s Cliff Close, asked to be dealt through a drugs’ court and said: “I’m just trying to get help. I get ‘high’ chasing the dragon and then I face the consequences.”

He said he had “slipped off” a drugs’ treatment programme but now realised the error he had made.

Mr. Warner varied Carvello’s existing probation order, stipulating he attend a drugs’ court treatment programme, report to Court Services daily for assessment by drug treatment officers and return to Magistrates Court on November 15 for a review of the probation order.