MOT tester fined £1,300 for issuing fraudulent certificates

An MOT tester has been slapped with a £1,300 fine and 200 hours’ community service for issuing fraudulent MOT certificates at a Surrey garage.

Benjamin Aaron Sinclair admitted seven counts of fraud by false representation at Guildford Magistrates Court on January 4.

He was accused of issuing MOT certificates to seven vehicles without performing a test in order to make a financial gain, while working at Godalming Garage Ltd in Godalming, Surrey.

The offences took place between February 18 and April 6 last year.

Magistrates ordered Sinclair to complete 200 hours of unpaid work within the next 12 months, as well as £1,300 costs and a £95 surcharge to fund victim services.

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From 2021 to 2022, DVSA recorded a total of 1,324 counts of MOT Fraud.

Of these, 710 were the most serious cases relating to dishonesty and negligence – a significant increase from 2017 to 2018, when there were 351 cases.

DVSA also has the power to ban individuals from testing.

In 2021, a total of 127 authorised examiners were banned from running Vehicle Testing Stations, and 288 were banned from the MOT scheme.

This includes bans for 85 authorised examiner and 185 tester cases relating to the most serious offences such as dishonesty and gross negligence.