A Birmingham man who could not understand English employed impersonators to sit his driving theory tests on his behalf, but his attempt to cheat was uncovered.
Ali Khan, 38, from Alum Rock and originally from Afghanistan, provided his provisional driving licence card to strangers to take the theory test twice. The scheme collapsed when one impersonator raised suspicions at a test centre by claiming to have undergone facial plastic surgery to explain differences in appearance, while another fled after stating he had left his passport in his car.
Anton Balkitis, prosecuting for the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), told Birmingham Magistrates Court that on 2 September 2024, an impersonator attended a test centre in Dudley carrying Khan’s licence to sit the theory test. Reception staff, doubting the candidate’s identity, refused him entry.
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“The candidate then claimed he had plastic surgery on his nose and face, before leaving,” Mr Balkitis explained.
Following this, Khan received a warning letter. Despite this, on 21 September 2024, another impersonator arrived with Khan’s licence at a Redditch test centre. This individual failed to provide a date of birth or the booking confirmation email when questioned.
Mr Balkitis recounted: “He said he was going to retrieve his passport from his wife in the car but then left.”
When interviewed by the DVSA, Khan denied knowingly using impersonators, claiming he had lost his provisional licence card and that someone else must have found it and booked the tests without his knowledge.
Khan pleaded guilty to two counts of supplying an article for use in fraud. During his court appearance on Monday 24 August, he was accompanied by a Pashtun interpreter.
The court sentenced Khan, who lives on Alum Rock Road, to 45 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to pay £1,750 in costs, a £154 victim surcharge, and to complete a ‘thinking skills’ programme.
Mr Balkitis emphasised the issue of impersonators, stating: “Social media is littered with posts offering these services; they are widespread.”
The DVSA is responsible for conducting driving tests, approving driving instructors and MOT testers, ensuring the safety of lorries and buses, performing roadside checks, and monitoring vehicle recalls.