A HUGE crash for cash car insurance scam which netted £2 million for its ringleaders has seen more than 150 people convicted for submitting bogus claims.

At Newport Crown Court, the final three defendants were sentenced as Judge Daniel Williams lifted reporting restrictions so that the scope of the complicated swindle could be revealed for the first time.

Daniel Roberts, 34, of Farm View, Pengam, Philip Bowditch, 37, of William Street, Treowen, and Carl Wilkins, 46, of Garfield Street, Blackwood were the last of 77 people to come before the courts to be punished for their role in the elaborate con that formed the second phase of Gwent Police’s Operation Dino.

The investigation was a joint exercise which included the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB), established in 2006 as the insurance industry’s central hub for sharing organised fraud intelligence, and its insurer members.

The final three defendants had all admitted conspiracy to defraud.
Roberts was jailed for 12 months, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to pay £3,670 in compensation.

Bowditch, was sent to prison for 26 weeks, suspended for 12 months, ordered to carry out 100 hours unpaid work and pay £1,820 in compensation.

Wilkins was jailed for 26 weeks, suspended for 12 months, and £1,850 compensation. Phoney crashes were staged and false compensation claims submitted from 2009-2012 with the total number of people involved reaching 158.

Most of those involved admitted or were convicted of conspiracy to defraud.

The original Operation Dino case, which concluded in 2015, saw 81 people prosecuted for their role in the chicanery, which centred around the use of vehicles in staged accidents so that the fraudsters could submit dodgy and exaggerated insurance claims to increase pay-outs.

The second phase investigated additional insurance claims linked to the original investigation, resulting in 96 convictions across the 77 defendants for a range of offences including conspiracy to defraud and fraud by misrepresentation. 

They received a total of 123 months’ custody, 296 months’ suspended sentences, 48 months’ conditional discharge, 6,350 hours of unpaid work and £127,242 in compensation orders.

Ben Fletcher, director of the IFB commented: “The outcome of this case goes to show that if you commit insurance fraud you will pay the price – in this case that price has included 123 months of jail time and £127,242 in compensation orders for these fraudsters, who had little regard for the serious nature of their crimes.

“While we were pleased with the outcome of phase one of this investigation, which resulted in a total of 601 months’ jail time for the 81 fraudsters, we saw an opportunity to continue the fight and ensure that everyone involved was brought to justice.  

“Both phases of this case are a fantastic demonstration of the value of the collaboration between IFB, Gwent Police and our insurer members. 

"Through the hard work and the determination of the industry as a whole, we are proving that insurance fraud is top of our agenda and will not go unpunished.”

The senior investigating officer in the probe from Gwent Police, Detective Chief Inspector Steve Maloney said: “Operation Dino was investigated by a small team of dedicated investigators who had to manage a large number of individuals responsible for a very complex fraud.  

“The investigation has brought people to justice for their criminal activity but has also assisted our partners in the insurance industry to prevent future offences of this nature going undetected.

"Crash for cash scams have a real impact on society and cost the honest policy holders almost £350 million each year.”