A Birmingham man has been sentenced after using impersonators to sit his driving theory test because he could not understand English. Ali Khan, 38, an Afghan from Alum Rock, supplied his provisional driving licence card to strangers on two occasions to cheat his way through the exam. His ruse failed when suspicious staff at test centres caught on to the deception.
How the fraud was uncovered
Anton Balkitis, prosecuting on behalf of the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency, told Birmingham Magistrates Court that on September 2, 2024, someone turned up at a test centre in Dudley with Khan's licence. 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," Mr Balkitis said. Despite receiving a warning letter, a second impersonator attended with Khan's card at a test centre in Redditch on September 21, 2024.
Second attempt and court outcome
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." Khan initially denied using impersonators and claimed he had lost his provisional licence card.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of supplying an article for use in fraud and was sentenced to 45 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months, plus £1,904 in costs and fines. Speaking about the wider problem, Mr Balkitis said: "Social media is littered with posts offering these services, these services are rife."
Wider implications for road safety
The case highlights ongoing concerns about the integrity of driving theory tests in the UK. The Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency continues to pursue prosecutions against those attempting to cheat the system, as impersonation poses a risk to road safety by allowing unqualified drivers to obtain licences.
