GBB,a Davies company of research and forensic investigations, has helped to secure the conviction of three fraudsters who were sentenced to 24 months imprisonment, a 9-month community order and must pay £8,300 in fines collectively.

In a case brought forward by the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED) following an investigation led by Philip Day, Special Investigator at Allianz, GBB’s forensic engineering teams were brought in to investigate an incident involving an Aston Martin DB9 Volante and a Peugeot 208 Style.

The collision was alleged to have taken place between the two vehicles after it was claimed the Peugeot struck a pothole forcing it to swerve into oncoming traffic and collide with the Aston Martin. Following initial impact, the driver of the Aston Martin is then said to have swerved into a nearby wall, resulting in further damage to the luxury vehicle.

Using scientific techniques to calculate braking distances, and by uncovering discrepancies between damage found on the vehicles against the claimants’ version of the events, GBB’s findings helped to secure the guilty conviction of the “crash for cash” fraudsters. The sentencing was issued on December 19th as follows:

• Edwin White, 65, of Dibden Lane, Tewkesbury, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment.
• Nicholas Ralph, 67, of Station Road, Cheltenham, was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months. He must also pay £6,300 in compensation to LV= and a fine of £1,000.
• Clive Moore, 51, of Hanham Road, Bristol, was handed a nine-month community order. He must also complete 100 hours of unpaid work and pay a £1,000 fine.

GBB’s forensic investigation uncovered several discrepancies in the accounts provided by both drivers. This includes a lack of damage to the tyre of the Peugeot or the pothole itself to support this version of events. GBB’s expert testimony highlighted that the car’s dynamics should have caused it to swerve left upon entering the pothole, not right as was claimed. In addition, calculations confirmed that the driver would have had ample time – between 2 and 3.5 seconds – to react and apply the brakes, making the collision avoidable.

The claim that the driver of the Aston Martin also collided with the wall was also challenged by GBB’s analysis; although scratch marks were found on the wall, no damage marks on the vehicle aligned with this account. Further investigations into the driver’s recent purchase of the Aston Martin raised additional concerns: despite the claim that he had acquired the vehicle for £60,000 just a week earlier, GBB’s inspection revealed that the car was in poor condition, with faulty brakes, water ingress, and evidence of neglect. Further enquiries revealed that the driver offered a vehicle mileage adjustment service. The results of this investigation cast doubt on the legitimacy of the sale and the vehicle’s true value.

Philip Hoyes, Director of GBB, commented: “Scientific evidence is crucial in uncovering crash for cash schemes. We have seen these continually on the rise across the country, but the evidence is hard to hide from our experts. We welcome the result, as we continue to work with organisations such as IFED and our insurer clients in the fight against insurance fraud.”

Philip Day, Special Investigations Team at Allianz, added: “The forensic evidence from GBB was crucial in proving that this was a staged accident. Allianz are committed to working in partnership with law enforcement and our suppliers to detect and disrupt insurance fraud. We welcome the sentencing and hope it sends a strong message to other fraudsters to deter them from committing this type of crime”.

Detective Sergeant Chris Jones, from the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED), said: “White and Ralph could have put themselves at risk of physical harm in the pursuit of insurance money. Cases like this demonstrate the greed of insurance fraudsters and the measures they will take for financial gain.

“Crash for cash fraud pushes up the cost of insurance premiums for the public. An average of over £1.3 million worth of bogus motor insurance claims were detected each day in 2023, showing that insurance fraud doesn’t go unnoticed by the industry or law enforcement. We will work collaboratively to bring fraudsters to justice, as this case shows.”

The last five years have seen a sharp increase in crash for cash schemes, which has targeted almost every UK motor insurer and costs the industry over £392 million per year. 1

1 “Crash for Cash” in numbers report