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Motorist faked death to avoid speeding fines
12:52am Monday 21st January 2008
Comments (32)
A DRIVER who tried to fake his own death to avoid three speeding charges was caught when police recognised him from a speed camera image.
Father-to-be Shafkat Munir, of Mulberry Walk, Blackburn, was worried that if he was caught speeding, and possibly banned from the roads, he could lose his job as a waiter at a restaurant, a court heard.
Munir had been issued with three summonses in January and February 2007 - two in Lancashire and one in South Yorkshire - and initially accepted he was the driver of the Honda Civic in question.
But he later sent a death certificate, written in Urdu, to both police forces, claiming that a 'Shafkat Munir' had actually died four years previously, Preston Crown Court was told.
The 26-year-old was jailed for 12 months after admitting three offences of attempting to pervert the course of justice at an earlier court hearing.
Prosecutor Emma Keogh said police became suspicious, especially officers in South Yorkshire, and launched further inquiries.
Munir's photo was on the police national computer after he was jailed in 2005 for two months for stealing from his former employers, the De Tabley Bar and Grill in Ribchester, where he worked as a head waiter.
The photo matched a speed camera image, captured of the driver in the South Yorkshire speeding offence.
Further checks were made with the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency in Swansea, which held Munir's driving records, with their picture also bearing a striking resemblance to the suspected speeder.
Munir was arrested and immediately made admissions to police about what he had done.
Michael Gleeson, defending, said his client had made a "pathetic attempt" to evade justice which was always going to be discovered.
While Munir did have previous convictions, he had now settled down and held down a steady job at a restaurant in Manchester, he added.
It was because he feared losing his driving licence, which he needed for work, that he had sent the death certificate to police, said Mr Gleeson.
The court heard that Munir had also wanted to keep his licence as his wife was receiving IVF treatment at a Leeds hospital at the time.
This had proved successful and she was now expecting their first child late this year.
Munir also looked after his mother and any prison sentence would hit his family hard, added Mr Gleeson.
Jailing Munir, Judge Andrew Gilbart QC said: "Interfering with the course of justice demands a custodial sentence, especially if there is a calculated plan to disrupt a prosecution by the production of a fraudulent death certificate."
Munir was also banned from driving for 18 months - the original speeding offences could not be prosecuted because they had now fallen outside the six months statute of limitations for such charges.
Speaking after the sentencing, John Davies, project manager for Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety, said: "Pretending to be dead to avoid paying speeding fines amounting to £180 is almost unbelievable.
"Munir's licence was clean before this spate of incidents and he would have still been able to drive - I have never known anyone go to such lengths.
"All credit to investigating officers across the forces for their determination to bring this man to face justice."
He added: "Excess speed is at least partly to blame for one in three deaths on Lancashire's roads and speed limits are in place to protect us.
"Those caught speeding will be prosecuted and may well trigger investigations into previous offences if the slightest suspicion is raised."
Your Say YourThis Is Lancashire
mudshark, says...
1:23am Mon 21 Jan 08
observer, hyndburn says...
8:32am Mon 21 Jan 08
Maybe his deceptions were all for nothing! Of course we will never know. Once more 'the law of unintended consequncies' kicks in.
IanK, Darwen says...
9:30am Mon 21 Jan 08
NjoY, BBurn says...
9:50am Mon 21 Jan 08
observer wrote:Laff.
This sort of thing should never be condoned, but one can't help wondering if Mr Munir might have been one of the hundreds of innocent motorists having their speeding tickets cancelled because the authorities haven't operated the cameras correctly.
Maybe his deceptions were all for nothing! Of course we will never know. Once more 'the law of unintended consequncies' kicks in.
Just the thought of that being true is amusing! Very possible too.
If he'd have faked his death for an insurance payout,probably more believable, but not as funny. Idiot!!
Dean, Blackburn says...
10:50am Mon 21 Jan 08
People who thinks this kind of thing is funny then they need to get a life!
John, blackburn says...
11:50am Mon 21 Jan 08
Anonymous, Blackburn says...
11:54am Mon 21 Jan 08
Aisha, blackburn says...
12:00pm Mon 21 Jan 08
Anonymous wrote:What are you on about, this photo was central to the story.
Once again, the LET shows it's true colours. This guy tried his luck and it went wrong, still the LET display his pictures on the website. There is an article about a WHITE person who attacked an elderly man whilest sat in traffic but surprise surprise, no pictures !! Come on LET, stop embarrasing youselves.
Theres always one idiot on here.
Its the girl in the pic i feel sorry for.
malik, Blackburn says...
12:15pm Mon 21 Jan 08
DRIVER who tried to fake his own death
Beyond blief. It would be ironic if he died for real in prison very soon.
Adamsky, says...
12:28pm Mon 21 Jan 08
Anonymous wrote:The police don't give out pictures of criminals unless they get jailed for a decent stretch. I'm sure the LET would have printed the other bloke's mugshot as well, but the police wouldn't have given it to them as he was only jailed for a few days.
Once again, the LET shows it's true colours. This guy tried his luck and it went wrong, still the LET display his pictures on the website. There is an article about a WHITE person who attacked an elderly man whilest sat in traffic but surprise surprise, no pictures !! Come on LET, stop embarrasing youselves.
Mike, Blackpool says...
2:37pm Mon 21 Jan 08
How lawful can it be to fine someone or take away their liberty if no damage or deaths happen.
It's just a money making exercise. I don't drive myself by choice.
The police are more concerned about looking a fool, hence they charge people in revenge.
laura, blackburn says...
3:38pm Mon 21 Jan 08
Harry Hill, London Weekend Television says...
4:31pm Mon 21 Jan 08
Anonymous wrote:Maybe Jeremy Beadle was not there to film or take a photo of the white guy attacking that old man!!! Mr Manuir was got on camera commiting an offence....Unlucky!!
Once again, the LET shows it's true colours. This guy tried his luck and it went wrong, still the LET display his pictures on the website. There is an article about a WHITE person who attacked an elderly man whilest sat in traffic but surprise surprise, no pictures !! Come on LET, stop embarrasing youselves.
!
If you want to see a white guy's picture, have a look at the guy in the article down a few from this!!! He had his teeth kicked out by 3 Asian's!!!
If people ( White,Asian or Black ) don't want their pictures in the paper, maybe they should stop breaking the law!!!
Superstani Arnie, says...
5:35pm Mon 21 Jan 08
A D wrote:Er, they're all criminally idiotic! (That's why they're inside)
Do you think they should have separate prisons for the criminally idiotic?
sod, says...
6:13pm Mon 21 Jan 08
jimluftas, says...
6:33pm Mon 21 Jan 08
Why should they not print his photo? People deserve to know who this clown is. They printed that paedophiles' the other week, he was white. They should throw away the key.
Anne, Accrington says...
7:17pm Mon 21 Jan 08
scooby, says...
8:10pm Mon 21 Jan 08
bystander, lancs says...
9:05pm Mon 21 Jan 08
Ali on the range, in my tax payers B.M.W says...
9:21pm Mon 21 Jan 08
Gordon Toole wrote:where has my comment gone !!! is that a back handed comment mr tool with a E
Faheem wrote: Look Gordon Toole I can say anything and I don't care what you say.I am NOT trying to be racist I knew him from a long time now i don't want to see his face.Faheem, the argument was not with you and I was not disagreeing with you that he is a Tramp as I do not know the man. My argument is that you can come on here and call him a tramp but I come on here and call nobody names but the Telegraph remove my comments! As for Ali on the Range in your tax payers B.M.W, hope you are wearing your seat belt and not speeding as I would hate to see you getting hurt or getiing a speeding ticket!!!
F.A.O mr toole, look what i found you would have seen it if you looked says...
9:24pm Mon 21 Jan 08
FRANK, BB6 says...
9:30pm Mon 21 Jan 08
Rose, Accrington says...
9:38pm Mon 21 Jan 08
Sandra, Lancashire says...
9:54pm Mon 21 Jan 08
Rose wrote:
This story made my day..........gave a good old laugh..Tis a bit extreme to avoid points and a small fine though......and I would have laughed if he was black or white so you lot arguing the toss about race bloody grow up and put your dummies back in
While you are having a good old laugh Rose, Spare a thought for my Daughter who was run over and killed by an Asian man who had no driving licence or insurance and drove off and left her to die in the road.
The Police have told me that it is a growing problem within the Asian community that many Young Asians in their twenties drive around without Licence,insurance and often speed.
Maybe you should listen to some of the people's comments on here because a lot of them I can relate to.
JK, says...
9:18am Tue 22 Jan 08
WHY IS IT THAT WHEN ITS A STORY THAT RELATES TO ASIANS IN ANY WAY, THE WHITE COMMUNITY REALLY GET INVOLVED, AND BLOW IT OU OF PROPORTION
ARE YOU PEOPLE TRYING TO BLAME ASIANS FOR YOUR PROBLEMS?!
WHY HAS NO ONE POSTED ON OTHER STORIES SUC AS
Ban for taxi driver
Aisha, blackburn says...
11:28am Tue 22 Jan 08
or is it just me?
Assasin, blackburn says...
12:13pm Tue 22 Jan 08
Aisha wrote:lol..
why does this comment box appear soo wide? or is it just me?
This box is wide, your not seeing things.
Sick of speeders, Blackburn says...
1:03pm Tue 22 Jan 08
This kind of Police work sends out the message that if people wish to benefit from living in a relatively safe, benign country like England they will have to abide by the same rules as the rest of us.
sid, bburn says...
3:51pm Tue 22 Jan 08
yeh rite, blackburn says...
5:17pm Tue 22 Jan 08
Sick of speeders wrote:
My wife used to work in Blackburn with an Asian lad who didn't insure or tax his car because he claimed it was against his religious beliefs, yet all through Ramadan he was eating, smoking and drinking in the office, claiming that he was sick and therefore exempt from the rules. This kind of Police work sends out the message that if people wish to benefit from living in a relatively safe, benign country like England they will have to abide by the same rules as the rest of us.
that if people wish to benefit from living in a relatively safe, benign country like England they will have to abide by the same rules as the rest of us.
how do you that they, like most of the kids their age, were not born and bred here and as a result have just as much right to live here and benefit here without asking anyones permission to do so....and also, when you say "the same rules as the rest of us"....i take it you are not aware that crimes are commited daily up and down the country by people of ALL colours and backgrounds.
kate, london says...
8:54pm Wed 23 Jan 08
Munir captured on the speed camera image
Shafkat Munir
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A D, Blackburn says...
1:00am Mon 21 Jan 08