Two jailed for driving offence scam

10/01/12

By Sarah Tawton

Two men have been sent to prison for helping more than 700 people avoid driving convictions.

Colin Lowndes was the mastermind behind a national scam which saw him submit false nominations on behalf of motorists facing penalty points for offences such as speeding and driving while using a mobile phone.

Offenders would give Lowndes their notices of intended prosecution and he would submit false nominations using fake names from a number of different addresses.

Further notices would then be sent to the "driver", with the process repeated until the end of the legal timeframe for prosecution.

Police said Lowndes had charged motorists up to £400 to help them avoid prosecution.

Lowndes, 41, of Clough End Road, Hattersley, admitted conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and 30 counts of fraud relating to a separate scam at Manchester Crown Court.

He was sentenced to seven years in prison after the court heard how he and his accomplice, brother-in-law Lee Foster, made more than 1,000 false nominations in relation to various driving offences.

More than 500 of the false nominations were sent to Foster's home, the court was told.

Foster, 40, of Backbower Lane, Hyde, was given an 18-month jail sentence after being convicted of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.