Hull Crown Court that none of them looked anything like her and as a result, she was quickly rumbled
A crafty fraudster secretly paid three women to pretend to be her in a shameless bid to pass her driving and theory test examinations – without even turning up on the day. But the half-baked scheme was doomed to failure because suspicions were aroused when it was noticed that the stand-in stooges who arrived for the tests looked nothing like her.
Investigations were launched and the frauds were quickly torpedoed, a court heard. Kathleen Kelly, 28, of Cox’s Court, Hibaldstow, near Brigg, admitted three offences of supplying an item for use in fraud, involving submitting a provisional driving licence, intending it to be used to commit or to assist in the commission of fraud, on April 11 and 15 and on June 19 last year.
A hearing at Hull Crown Court was told that, on three separate occasions, Kelly paid another woman to take either her theory test or her driving test for her. Different stand-ins were used on each occasion.
The offences all took place many miles from where Kelly lived and at different test centres. An investigation was launched when officials analysed CCTV pictures and noticed that the woman who was taking the test did not match the picture on the provisional driving licence.
The first test, a theory test, was arranged at Morden Theory Test Centre in London and the second one, an actual driving test, was booked for Belvedere (London) Driving Test Centre in Belvedere, Kent.
This was not, however, completed because it was noticed that the woman who turned up did not match the picture of Kelly on the provisional driving licence. The test was stopped and voided before it started.
The third test took place at Borehamwood (London) Driving Test Centre. Although a woman took the test, it was later realised from the pictures that it was not the same woman who was shown on the provisional driving licence.
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The prosecution was brought by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. At an earlier hearing before Hull magistrates on January 31, Kelly originally denied the three offences and a trial was due to be held after she elected to have her case heard before a jury.
The case was resolved, however, at a mention hearing before Hull Crown Court. Kelly was told by the judge that she would not be jailed for the offences and that the custodial sentence to be imposed would be suspended.
Holly Thompson, mitigating, said that Kelly had no previous convictions and she had, in the end, pleaded guilty. She lived a “socially reclusive lifestyle”.
Kelly was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence and 20 days’ rehabilitation. She was ordered to pay £100 costs and she must pay a £187 victims’ surcharge.