The pair avoided jail but must complete hours of community service and compensate the insurer By Victoria Munro
The damage to the Saris’ car (credit: City of London Police)
A Walthamstow husband and wife who took part in a “crash for cash” plot have been sentenced for fraud.
Ismali Sari, 42, and his 30-year-old wife Sultan, of Boundary Road, were sentenced alongside their Haringey accomplice Pinar Govenc at Southwark Crown Court on 25th February.
The court heard Govenc reported hitting the Saris’ car at an Enfield junction on 3rd May, 2019, alleging the crash was her fault as she had not been paying attention.
Ismali submitted a claim to her insurer Direct Line Group for £10,500 to repair the damage to his car, also claiming both he and his wife were suffering from back pain after the collision.
However, after reviewing the telematics system in Govenc’s car, which tracked its movement while being driven, Direct Line Group began to suspect something was awry.
Her car’s system showed it had been hit repeatedly the evening before the reported crash – in four cases at high speed while standing still – and no sign of any crash on the day she was supposed to have struck the Saris’ car.
Detective Sergeant Phillip Corcoran, from the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED), said: “This was a shameless and ludicrous attempt to defraud an insurer out of a substantial amount of money. Fortunately, Direct Line Group noticed discrepancies in the trio’s story before they paid out the full claim.
“The outcome reflects that fraudulent claims and cases like this do not go unnoticed by the industry or law enforcement, and we will work collaboratively to bring these criminals to justice.”
Ismali Sari was handed a 12-month suspended sentence and ordered to do 120 hours of unpaid community service. He was also told to pay Direct Line Group £600 in compensation.
Sultan Sari was sentenced to 70 hours of unpaid community service and ordered to pay Direct Line Group £61.50 in compensation.
Pinar Govenc, a 25-year-old from Conway Road in Haringey, was given a six-month suspended sentence and a 25-day rehab order. She must also compensate her insurer £61.50.
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