Bogus Around The Bend Driving School instructor conned learner drivers in West Yorkshire out of thousands of pounds

A fraudster conned customers out of more than £5,000 for driving lessons despite not being qualified as an instructor.
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Nigel Horsfall set himself up in business despite failing an exam needed to obtain a driving instructor's badge.

The 40-year-old took money from pupils referred to him from the Around The Bend Driving School for almost a year before the offending came to light.

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Olivia Maginn, prosecuting, said Horsfall committed the deception when he joined the franchise as a self-employed instructor.

Leeds Crown CourtLeeds Crown Court
Leeds Crown Court

Miss Macginn said Horsfall had failed to complete a course to obtain an official instructor's badge which should have been on display in his vehicle.

One student paid around £1,000 for up to 40 lessons but failed his test twice and had his third test cancelled at the last minute.

Another victim paid £950 for lessons and a third paid £200 for six lessons.

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A fourth student paid £225 for five lessons and tests but the defendant would cancel the lessons at the last minute and could not be contacted.

Miss Maginn said none of the victims received refunds.

Horsfall he also owed £2,483 to the agency's managing director for referring students to him.

The managing director became aware that Horsfall was not qualified in February 2019 and he was sacked.

Horsfall later admitted to police that he had never held an approved driving instructor's badge and it was illegal for him to work as an instructor.

He pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud.

The total value of the offending was £5,900.

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Horsfall, of Bairstow Lane, Sowerby Bridge, Halifax, has no previous convictions.

Christopher Morton, mitigating, said Horsfall had been made redundant from his previous job and used his redundancy money to take a driving instructor course.

Mr Morton said Horsfall had passed the first two exams but failed the third and final one needed to qualify.

The court heard Horsfall was then employed by another driving firm despite making the company aware that he was not qualified.

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Horsfall then went on to join Around The Bend Driving School.

Mr Morton said Horsfall's marriage failed as a result of the prosecution and he is on medication for depression.

Judge Tom Bayliss QC told Horsfall: "Those people were paying you under false pretences.

"You were deceiving them and you were conning them. Those people were trusting you.

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"I am quite satisfied that by doing what you were doing, you were not putting other road users at risk.

"You were, as a member of the public, with a full driving licence, entitled to take learner drivers with you in your car and teach them how to drive.

"But the gravity of this is that you were deceiving these people.

"You were abusing a position of responsibility. You were doing it brazenly and it had a certain sophistication about it."

Horsfall was given an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

He was also ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work.