Sibling sentencing

4 min read
  • Direct Line Group and Keoghs succeed in case against two sisters found guilty of “Contempt of Court”
  • Two sisters sentenced after attempting to commit fraud valued at over £450,000
  • £139,595.49 awarded to Direct Line Group with £77,721.60 recovered to date
  • A further £20,000 costs order made against the fraudsters on the 11th of November

 

Two sisters entered a guilty plea to the charge of “Contempt of Court”, following a conspiracy to defraud Direct Line Group, and were sentenced at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Were their fraudulent claims to have been successful they would have received over £450,000 in damages and costs.

Following an investigation by Direct Line Group and Keoghs, it was revealed that three family members had falsified evidence, presented inaccurate witness statements, prepared fraudulent injury claims and provided an incorrect version of events as to how a collision involving their car occurred.

Ms Tul-Zahara, found to be the driver, received an 11-month immediate custodial sentence and her sister, Ms Kauser, was given a three-month suspended sentence. The brother, Mr Ali, who admitted guilt early on and presented a full apology, was not pursued further. The court also made a £20,000 interim costs order against the fraudsters.

The incident involved three vehicles, with the first car driven by the fraudster slamming on the brakes to deliberately cause “an accident”. The driver of the middle vehicle, who provided witness evidence during the court case, narrowly avoided the collision with the first car. However, the third car driven by Direct Line Group’s policyholder shunted the middle vehicle into that of the fraudsters, resulting in a three-vehicle collision.

The contempt hearing followed an earlier civil trial, where Direct Line Group successfully defended the fraudulent claim made against the insurer. Counter fraud intelligence experts from DLG and Keoghs identified several inconsistences relating to injury claims made by the family members. They also highlighted a claim for £92,000 presented to the insurer by a credit hire company, which appeared heavily inflated and was inconsistent with the way the incident had allegedly occurred.

During the civil trial it was revealed the family members were guilty of deceit. Video evidence shared by the driver of the second vehicle showed family members presenting claims where they were not even in the vehicle when the incident occurred or had provided false witness statements.

Despite the assertion that Mr Ali was the driver, it was found Ms Tul-Zahara was at the wheel and that Mr Ali and Ms Kauser were not even in the car. All had entered a conspiracy to cause an accident and present false claims. Following the civil trial £139,595.49 was ordered to be paid to Direct Line Group, with £77,721.60 recovered to date.

Stuart Stevens, Head of Counter Fraud intelligence, Direct Line Group comments: “We are committed to ensuring those who attempt to make fraudulent claims against us are dealt with by the relevant authorities. We have highly skilled investigators who work continuously with intelligence services to identify these criminals. We work with all law enforcement agencies to assist them in preparing these cases and we are delighted that the perpetrators of this fraud have been brought to justice. Their sentences should serve as a stark warning to others that insurance fraud is not a victimless crime.

“We’d like to thank the Keogh’s legal team for their support on this case, proving that cross industry knowledge and collaboration is key to ensuring a successful outcome.”

Ben Leech, Partner and Counter Fraud Strategy Director, Keoghs said: “We are extremely pleased with this result. Our counter fraud team works hard to not only investigate and detect fraud but also ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice. The result shows how seriously the justice system takes insurance fraud.” 

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For more information please contact:

Ewan Robertson, Head of Media Relations 

Direct Line Group 

Telephone: 07779718865

Email: Ewan.robertson@directlinegroup.co.uk 

Direct Line Insurance Group plc 

Direct Line Group (DLG) is one of the UK’s leading insurance companies. The Group’s vision is to create a world where insurance is personal, inclusive and a force for good. Through its well-known brands which include Direct Line, Churchill, Privilege, Darwin, Direct Line for Business and Green Flag, DLG helps people to carry on with their lives, giving them peace of mind now and in the future. Its brands offer a wide range of general insurance products across motor, home, commercial, travel, pet and rescue, both direct to customers and through price comparison websites and it underwrites insurance products distributed by its third-party partners. The Group believes that by embracing sustainable practices it creates a better corporate culture able to provide more reliable products and bring long-term rewards for its customers, people and shareholders.