19 people sentenced over speeding fine avoidance scam

A man described as the “central figure and ringleader” in a widespread scam that saw speeding drivers pay hundreds of pounds to avoid fines and penalty points has been jailed for three years and four months at Bradford Crown Court.

Khuram Yaqoob, 35, of Westlands Drive, Allerton, and currently incarcerated at HMP Leeds, is approaching the end of a seven-year sentence imposed in 2021 for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition.

He will now serve more jail time for conspiring to pervert the course of justice.

The speeding fine avoidance scheme, which ran between June 2017 and December 2019, was uncovered when police examined Yaqoob’s phone and found WhatsApp conversations detailing people who had used it.

Yaqoob operated the scheme by giving the addresses of several properties that he owned together with fictitious names. Once false details had been returned the registered keeper – the person trying to avoid a speeding fine, would be absolved.

Time and money would then be wasted trying to trace a person who did not exist, and the prosecution would collapse.

The court heard that some people nominated “wholly innocent” family members to escape penalty points or fines.

Judge Rose said: “It was only through painstaking and time-consuming work by the police that the defendants before the court today were brought to justice.”

Over the course of Tuesday and Wednesday, the following people were jailed alongside Yaqoob, who pleaded guilty to a total of 25 counts of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice:

• Qaiser Rehman, 31, of Woodside View, Bingley; 14 months 
• Mohammed Macmour, 31, of Bentcliffe Drive, Leeds; 12 months. 
• Russell Bland, 46, of Waterwheel Rise, Huddersfield; 11 months. 
• Haroon Mushtaq, 28, of Woodland Crescent, Mixenden, Halifax; 10 months 
• Usman Suleman, 37, of Princeville Road, Lidget Green, Bradford;  10 months. 
• Seth Mahmood, aged 26, of Alvanley Court, Allerton, Bradford; 10 months 
• Safyan Sarwar, aged 32, of Lindley Moor Road, Huddersfield; 10 months 
• Ibrar Hussain, aged 28, of Bronshill Grove, Allerton, Bradford; nine months. 
• Waqas Hanif, aged 33, of Lilycroft Road, Manningham; nine months. 
• Nosheen Ashraf, aged 31, of Rushton Road, Thornbury, Bradford; seven months. 
• Mohammed Yunis, aged 28, of Chapel Lane, Allerton, Bradford; seven months 
• Billy Thomas-Hopwood, aged 34, of Yewdall Way, Thorpe Edge, Bradford; six months 
• Idris Yousaf, aged 45, of Sycamore Avenue, Huddersfield; six months. 
• Shakeel Shazad, aged 32, of Church Street, Heckmondwike; six months 
• Mohammed Bhatti, aged 26, of Grange Drive, Allerton; six months

These people were given the following sentences, which were suspended for two years: 

• Shazad Ul Hamid, aged 46, of Emm Lane, Heaton, Bradford; eight months  
• Safina Iqbal, aged 34, of Scholes Street, Bankfoot, Bradford; six months.  
• Akib Mahmood, aged 30, of Wimborne Drive, Allerton; six months. 

Speaking after the sentencing, Rachel Wainwright, of West Yorkshire Police’s Prosecutions and Casualty Prevention Unit, said:   Yaqoob convinced his customers that they would be able to escape speeding offences by following his advice and sending him money. 

“Instead, they have found themselves before the same court as him, where they have been dealt with for a serious offence.”

She added: “Speeding is a major factor in road traffic collisions in West Yorkshire, and it is only right that those who are caught speeding are dealt with in the proper way.  

Perverting the course of justice is a serious offence and I hope this outcome sends out a warning to anyone who thinks they can evade detection for offences committed on our roads.”