28-month prison sentence for serial driving theory test impersonator

A Coventry man has been sent to prison for 2 years and 4 months for trying to sit theory driving tests for other people at 12 locations across England.

Swallaxadin Abdul Bashir, 42, was sentenced at Warwick Crown Court on Wednesday (8 January) for his 12 offences, which took place from October 2018 to August 2019.

Theory centre staff reported the incidents to the Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency’s (DVSA) fraud investigation team after having suspicions that he was impersonating the genuine candidates whilst taking the tests.

The DVSA rejected all pass results from the tests that he carried out and in some cases he was turned away before taking the test.

This was a complex case for investigators as Bashir travelled around England to carry out his numerous offences.

He pleaded guilty to the offences at an earlier court hearing, which outlined that investigators found evidence of people booking tests with him on his mobile phone.

West Midlands Police supported the investigation and searched his home and another property connected to him after arresting him. They found distinctive items of clothing belonging to him that were captured on test centre CCTV whilst committing some of the offences.

He was previously jailed for 18 months in August 2017 and 2 years in July 2016 along with a 6-month suspended sentence in February 2014 for similar offences.

DVSA Head of Counter Fraud and Investigation Andy Rice said,

“DVSA’s priority is protecting everyone from unsafe drivers and vehicles.

“Theory tests are a vital way of assessing if people have the right driving knowledge and attitude to drive safely.

“Working with other agencies, we make every effort to prosecute theory test fraudsters and this significant prison sentence shows the impact of this work.”

Ongoing investigations are taking place to locate and prosecute the people who paid Bashir to carry out the tests on their behalf.