‘SUSPICIONS’ were raised following a ‘pattern’ of highly damaged cars, Cardiff Crown Court heard yesterday, as the trial of six people accused of making fraudulent claims as part of an alleged 'crash for cash' conspiracy continued.

The court heard evidence from Garry Charles who worked as a staff motor engineer at Direct Line from 2002 to 2011 attending garages where vehicles were delivered to.

He said he had visited Easifix, the Yandell family’s repair centre, based at the St David’s Industrial Estate on Pengam, around six times over a ‘couple of years’ while working for Direct Line where it was his job to assess the damage of the cars to see if they could be repaired.

“There were just cars everywhere,” he said.

“There was huge damage to these cars.”

Speaking about a Landrover Discovery which was involved in an accident on July 28, 2009, he said when he inspected it on August 5, 2009, the windscreen was cracked.

“There [must have been] more than one impact on the vehicle as the windscreen was cracked,” he said.

“Most windscreens today - there would have to be a severe accident to smash a windscreen.

“[There was] a pattern emerging of third party cars that were highly damaged.

“I passed on my suspicions to the insurance company”

The six, who deny all the charges, are: Byron Yandell, 31, and Rachel Yandell, 30, both of Queen’s Road, New Tredegar; Peter Yandell, 52, and Michelle Yandell, 51, both of Wheatley Place, Blackwood; Gavin Yandell, aged 29, of Clos Claerwen, Blackwood; and Jennifer Cosh, aged 39, of Pontygwindy Road, Caerphilly.

They are facing a total of 28 counts of conspiracy to defraud, relating to separate incidents surrounding alleged road traffic collisions.

Last week the court heard multiple incidents which included a Peugeot 207 driven by a Laura Powell, allegedly drove into the back of the Mitsubishi Lancer, driven by Byron Yandell, on October 10, 2010, on Beatty Road, Tir-y-Berth, near Blackwood.

Mr Charles said he met Bryon Yandell while he was looking at the Mitsubishi car but said that Mr Yandell did not say that it was his car when they spoke about the owner.

He although Mr Yandell didn’t lie to him about who owned the car he was ‘silent’ about it.

Mr Charles said when he looked at the Mitisubishi car it was ‘heavily damaged.’

“The rear end was more damaged than I would have thought in the accident,” he said.

Of the total of 28 collisions, six occurred on Pengam Road, four on New Road in Oakdale, and seven happened on the A469 between Thornhill and Gilfach. The prosecution claims these are not coincidences but were fraudulent acts.

Proceeding.