An innocent driver was pulled over and questioned by a man in an Audi who pretended to be a police officer.
The driver, who was in a Range Rover with a passenger heading toward the M62, was requested to stop by the driver of an Audi A4.
Andrew Page, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court how Richard Moriarty, 46, pulled over the Range Rover and then questioned the driver about his driving.
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Mr Page said: “It appeared to be fitted with emergency lights on the dashboard and believing it was a police vehicle he pulled over."
The incident happened on the Rainford by-pass.
Mr Page explained how Moriarty got out and questioned the motorist about his driving.
He said: “He asked if he had any identification. He showed Moriarty his identification and said it was his own personal car.
“Moriarty warned him not to drive erratically again, got back into his own vehicle and drove off.
“The two men suspected he was not a police officer and rang the police and took photographs of his car and provided a statement.”
The police traced the vehicle through the registration number and went to Moriarty's home in Bosworth Road, St Helens, the next afternoon and located the Audi.
They cautioned and arrested the defendant on suspicion of impersonating a police officer.
They searched his home and seized a three pronged combat knife and he was also arrested for having an offensive weapon in a private place, a new offence introduced last summer.
He said to police: "I knew what I did (was) wrong yesterday."
When he was interviewed the next day he said he put the lights in his vehicle for track days when he goes to Manchester Airport where he acts as a ‘pacing vehicle’.
He explained people who have fast cars go and race around an unused air field and he uses the lights to be the lead car as a pacer. He said he was due to go but it was cancelled and he forgot the take the lights out of his vehicle.
Mr Page added that Moriarty said he had bought them on a website and had also bought the combat knife as a collectable and did not know it was an offence.
Moriarty pleaded guilty to doing an act suggesting he was a police officer and possessing an offensive weapon in a private place on November 30 this year.
His lawyer Colin Rawson told magistrates that 46-year-old Moriarty has physical and mental health difficulties and has an appliance at his home linked to his brother who checks that he is fit and well.
He has no previous convictions but a caution for possessing a CS gas canister or similar item.
The Bench agreed to a request by Mr Rawson for a pre-sentence report to be prepared and Moriarty, who had a carer in the public gallery, was further remanded on bail until January 20 next year.
