Insurance fraudsters lose appeal against prison term

Nadeem Dad plotted with his father Munsif and brother Amer to siphon away millions through a vast array of small claims, cunningly designed to avoid the detection of insurers.

The 32-year-old, of Barkerhouse Road, was jailed for 15 months at Burnley Crown Court after he was convicted of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering in August, 2010. He was later ordered to hand back almost £52,000 of his ill-gotten gains.

Three senior judges at London’s Appeal Court have now rejected a challenge by Dad, saying “there is nothing” in claims he did not receive a fair trial or his sentence was too long.

Mr Justice Mitting said the three Dads made up to 69 false claims, worth more than £100,000, between early 2004 and 2007.

Among the bogus claims was one relating to a purported theft, worth £10,000, although this was rejected after an insurer’s probe.

Further smaller claims for storm and vehicle damage and lost pedigree dogs were also made, with Dad receiving some of the fraudulent payouts into his bank account, the appeal judge said.

Dad’s defence was that his identity had been stolen and his bank account manipulated by those carrying out the scams, but he was not believed by a jury and convicted.

Amer Dad was jailed for 15 months, while his father was handed a nine-month sentence, suspended for two years, after they were found guilty of the same charges. They were also ordered to hand over thousands in confiscation proceedings.

Nadeem Dad’s lawyers argued his convictions were “unsafe”, also challenging his sentence as excessive.

But Mr Justice Mitting, sitting with Mr Lord Justice Davis and Judge Anthony Russell, said: “There is nothing in any of the grounds of appeal and we refuse this renewed application.”