Halfords MOT tester admits issuing 31 fraudulent certificates

Released on unconditional bail to appear at Taunton Crown Court next month

Halfords MOT tester admits issuing 31 fraudulent certificates
Photo: Bigstock.

A Taunton-based MOT tester has admitted issuing 31 MOT certificates without carrying out the required checks.

Anton Keith Fricker pleaded guilty to 31 counts when he appeared at Taunton Magistrates’ Courts on July 13 following a DVSA investigation.

Fricker committed the crimes last year between August 26 and October 18 at Halfords Auto Centre, Castle Street, Taunton, and Reckleford, Yeovil.

In each case he admitted committing fraud by dishonestly making a false representation by issuing an MOT certificate without performing MOT tests, intending to make a gain for himself of another.

He was released on unconditional bail to appear at Taunton Crown Court on August 12 or at a time ordered by the higher court.

7 Comments

  1. Prison food for 6 months will serve him right

    Reply
    • only 6 months?

      Reply
  2. this will keep happening when fast fits are allowed to mot
    the whole system needs an rethink
    prices need raising and fixing and mechanics and testers need to be fully trained and have at least 2 days a year in a training collage to update skills and then given a certificate to work on cars which needs a fee charged and then garages will all need to charge a similiar level to the public for our well earned skills just like all legal bodys do
    i am thinking a minimum of £90.00 an hour plus vat
    this would stop the freds in sheds

    Reply
  3. Halfords should also be punished for allowing this to happen, I run a check every day againts the diary/ invoices so I would know from day 1 if this was happening

    lock him away for 31 years

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  4. Its the individual that has done this not the company it makes no difference wether its fast fit or any other type of garage testers do have to do training every year and if that person decides he or her wishes to do bent mots then they should serve 5 years minimum as they are putting other motorists at risk .the 31 mots he did were probably friends and family .each testing station must print test logs each week and check them but clearly thst was not done

    Reply
  5. It is actually the responsibility of the AE to ensure this type of activity does not happen within their business. It may be the tester that issues the VT20, but the AE is overall the one who is responsible and can face cessation despite not even knowing this activity is going on. Appendix 8 of the testing guide is quite clear on this – but you are absolutely right when you say the testing stations should be reviewing their test logs for potential fraudulent activity.

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  6. Well said Graham Cox. its high time that the MOT price was fixed in order for it to be stopped being used as a loss leader, it should be one price wherever it is done, the testers wages and overheads come to more than some stations are charging for a test, in short it is unsustainable,so therefore any profit has to be found elsewhere, which leads to unscrupulous practices, the sooner the transport minister and his team realize this fact of life the better for all, and that includes the vehicle owners who will know exactly where they stand, the MOT test is a government requirement and therefore devalues trust in government if it can be offered cut price, or lumped into a deal, the majority of the public expect the government to fix the price at a level that reflects the efforts that goes into it.

    Reply

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