Gambling addict from West Yorkshire devised £60,000 insurance scam for Range Rover crash in California
A gambling addict concocted a sophisticated £60,000 Trans-Atlantic insurance scam in which he claimed to have suffered a car crash in California.
Jack Higgins narrowly avoided being locked up after eventually admitting the fraud charge at Leeds Crown Court.
Higgins, from Ilkley, had contacted AIG Insurance to say he had been involved in a smash while driving a hired Range Rover on the west coast of America..
He made a claim for £59,987 in early 2019. He even produced false evidence to back up his claims, then spent the cash he received on “high-end living”, the court heard.
Higgins denied the offence but changed his plea on the day his trial was due to begin.
The 38-year-old splashed the money on hotels, restaurants over a period of four months, the court heard.
The money has since been paid back by Higgins’ dad.
Prosecutor Giles Grant described the scam as “sophisticated with planning”.
Higgins, of New Brook Street, Ilkley, has a previous conviction for fraud from six years ago and involving a bounced cheque.
Mitigating, Daniel Lister said his previous conviction was lower-level offending and this latest insurance fraud was an “individual incident”.
He said Higgins had an addiction to gambling at the time but has since sought help and has not offended since.
Mr Lister said Higgins was now a family man and had started a new company dealing in solar panels.
Judge Tom Bayliss KC told Higgins: “You claimed from an insurance company in America - just under £60,000.
“There was no accident. You were in financial difficulties, whether that was caused by gambling or whatever, it doesn’t really matter.
“You fabricated evidence in support. It’s undoubtedly sophisticated. You produced photographs, evaluation reports, a car-hire agreement and doctored bank statements so there’s an element of sophistication here.
“You managed to get £60,000 and frittered it away. It’s been paid back thanks to your father, rather than you. It has taken six years to get to this point.
“You could have admitted this very early on. Had you done so, the costs would not have been incurred. You are no stranger to fraud.”
He gave him the maximum sentence that can be suspended - two years’ jail, suspended for two years.
He also gave him 300 hours of unpaid work, and told him to pay £6,000 in costs, to be paid in full within 12 months.