A car dealer in the West Midlands has been jailed for fraud after he was found to be using fake names and documents.
Srecko Sretic, who also goes by the names Pavo Martinovic and Tomislav Jovanovic, was sentenced to a year in prison following a hearing at Birmingham Crown Court. The court heard that the 49-year-old had used various documents with different names on - including fake utility bills and a German driver’s permit - to trade under and even take out fraudulent insurance policies.
A car dealer will require a road risks insurance policy to enable them to legally drive the vehicles they are selling. Meanwhile, dealers trading from a set premises will require a motor trade insurance policy to provide financial cover for the stock and assets they store on site.
Using false information to obtain this type of business insurance - and indeed when obtaining any type of insurance quote - is illegal. Nevertheless, many people do it so they can get a cheaper policy or because they do not actually meet the requirements for getting a policy in the first place.
According to the Birmingham Mail, in 2013 and 2014, Mr Sretic took out three car insurance policies and applied for a provisional UK driving licence using a false home address, driver history and occupation information.