A Birmingham man who used impersonators to sit his driving theory test because he could not understand English has been sentenced. Ali Khan, 38, an Afghan from Alum Rock, supplied his provisional driving licence card to strangers on two occasions in order to cheat his way through the exam. His ruse failed when one impersonator told suspicious staff at one test centre that he had undergone facial plastic surgery and weeks later, a different man told another test centre that he had left his passport in his car before fleeing.
Failed attempts at Dudley and Redditch test centres
Anton Balkitis, prosecuting on behalf of the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), told Birmingham Magistrates Court that on September 2, 2024, someone turned up at a test centre in Dudley with Khan's licence to take the theory test. Mr Balkitis said that the reception staff turned the candidate away as they did not believe they were the genuine licence holder. "The candidate responded that he had plastic surgery on his nose and face to explain the difference and left."
A warning letter was sent to Mr Khan telling him not to do it again, but on September 21, 2024, a second candidate attended with his card at a test centre in Redditch. The impersonator was unable to provide a date of birth or the booking email when asked by suspicious staff. Mr Balkitis said: "He couldn't produce the email confirmation of the booking and said he was going to get his passport from his wife in the car and left."
Denial and conviction
When the DVSA interviewed Khan about the offences, Mr Khan denied using impersonators and said he had lost his provisional licence card. Mr Balkitis said: "He claimed that he had lost his licence, someone must've found it and booked two theory tests and carried it out without his knowledge." Khan, who pleaded guilty to two counts of supplying an article for use in fraud, used the services of a Pashtun interpreter when he appeared before magistrates on Monday (August 24).
Khan, of Alum Rock Road, was sentenced to 45 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months, ordered to pay £1,750 in costs, £154 victim surcharge and also to undergo a 'thinking skills' programme.
Wider issue of impersonation services
Speaking about the problem of impersonators, Mr Balkitis said: "Social media is littered with posts offering these services, these services are rife." The DVSA carry out driving tests and approves people to be driving instructors and MOT testers. They also carry out tests to make sure lorries and buses are safe to drive, carry out roadside checks on drivers and vehicles, and monitor vehicle recalls.
