Husband and wife sentenced for fraudulent accident claim

The husband altered the timestamps on his photos of the collision to corroborate his story, and provided the insurer with images of pre-existing damage to his vehicle.

Chaudhary Saghir, aged 50 was sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment and Mrs Tanzilla Saghir, aged 37 was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment, suspended for two years.

Saghir also lied that his wife and two children were in the car when the collision happened, to increase the value of the claim. His wife gave the same false account when she was interviewed.

The City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED) led on the investigation, and on Friday 17 January 2020, following a five day trial at Nottingham Crown Court, the couple were found guilty of fraud by false representation.

DC Haywood, who led the investigation for the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department, said, “Mr and Mrs Saghir have acted deceitfully and this was shown not only in their fraudulent activity in this case, but also by their continual denial of any wrongdoing throughout our investigation.

“With thanks to our industry partners involved in this case, including Allianz Insurance, as well as Nottinghamshire Police, the couple have been rightly punished.”

After the couple were found guilty, HHJ Hurst addressed Mr Saghir whilst sentencing and described him as a “Profoundly dishonest man who lies at will”. HHJ Hurst also said “You are a man who is dishonest to the core and you must be punished for it”.

James Burge, Fraud Manager at Allianz Insurance, said: "This is an excellent result for the industry. Insurance fraud is not a victimless crime and has serious consequences, so we are pleased this was recognised with a custodial sentence on this occasion. Allianz remains 100% committed to protecting our genuine customers through investment in detecting fraudulent activity, such as the crimes committed by Mr and Mrs Saghir."