Crash for cash insurance scammer jailed for staging 11 crashes in 15 months at SAME Northampton roundabout
Driver caught after police discovered car number plates being swapped at crash scene
A ‘crash for cash’ scammer has been jailed for two years, eight months after staging 11 collisions in 15 months at the SAME Northampton junction.
Emal Ahmadzai, of no fixed address, was part of a gang behind deliberate shunts at the Upton roundabout between January 1, 2017, and April 18, 2018.
Police launched a fraud investigation when the 29-year-old was identified as the driver in almost all of the incidents after a number were captured on camera by a local resident.
Ahmadzai was arrested along with three others, after officers attended one of the collisions and found the quartet swapping number plates on two vehicles — a BMW and a Mercedes.
During the investigation, Ahmadzai was the only one to be identified by witnesses and clearly seen on camera as being the driver and was charged with 11 counts of driving a motor vehicle dangerously and 11 of driving whilst disqualified.
He was jailed earlier this month after being found guilty following a trial at Northampton Crown Court in February.
Lead investigator, Detective Sergeant Simon Seed of Northamptonshire Police Economic Crime Unit, said: “Ahmadzai’s offending was organised, persistent and could have had much more serious consequences.
“He thought he was above the law and continuously denied his involvement despite overwhelming evidence against him.
“Thankfully, the jury saw through his lies and he has been rewarded with this prison sentence.
“Finally, If anyone is involved in a crash and there are demands from the other party to make payment without going through insurance, I would encourage them to call the police.”
During his trial, Amhadzai claimed he was a victim of modern slavery who had been trafficked to the UK and forced to commit offences.
But a jury dismissed that, taking just 67 minutes to unanimously find him guilty of all 11 offences.
Stephen Dalton, head of Intelligence and investigations at the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) said later: “Ahamadzai’s actions were reckless and cowardly, putting innocent road users in danger.
“Sadly, dangerous crash for cash scams are common and we are determined to crackdown on the issue.
"If anyone has seen evidence of a crash for cash, we urge them to report it to our confidential Cheatline or by calling 0800 422 0421.”