Three people have been jailed for staging a “crash for cash” to cheat their insurance company.
Qasim Nasser, 28, and Hanna Sheikh, 29, from Watford, Hertfordshire, and Kassam Ishaaq, 21, from Harrow, north London, were jailed at Harrow Crown Court for staging a car crash with the intent of making a fraudulent insurance claim.
The court heard that early in the morning of February 9 last year emergency services were called to a crash involving a white BMW M3 and a Honda CRV hire car.
The BMW, owned and driven by Nasser, had supposedly broken down due to a flat tyre before being rear-ended by the Honda, driven by Ishaaq.
Sheikh, Nasser’s wife, complained of back pain and had to be cut free from the car by the fire service. Nasser also complained of back pain and was taken to hospital on a spinal board.
Crash story didn’t hold up to scrutiny
But the trio’s tall story didn’t hold up to scrutiny. Police realised the BMW tyres were in tact, despite Nasser’s claim of a puncture.
Police investigations showed the trio new each other and investigations showed they had staged the collision – organised a crash for cash – to make a fraudulent insurance claim.
As a result Nasser, Sheikh and Kassam were arrested and charged. They were all found guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation following an eight-day trial.
Nasser was sentenced to two years, Sheikh to one year and Ishaaq to nine months in prison.
Jail sentences show how seriously police take crash for cash
PC Pete Hoddy, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Road Policing Unit, said: “The sentences handed out are testament to just how serious crash for cash schemes are considered in the eyes of the law.
“Nasser, Sheikh and Ishaaq were willing to risk serious injury to themselves and others as part of their plan to fraudulently claim money from insurance companies.
“Their selfish actions meant the emergency services who attended the scene could have been attending other incidents and helping others. I hope Nasser, Sheikh and Ishaaq use their time in prison to reflect on their actions.”
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