Speeding fine scam: Bradford pair jailed over false driver claim
Two Bradford company directors falsely named an innocent man as the driver of a speeding Audi. This is how the scheme worked, and why it was not a cloned plates case.
Key points
- Asad Ashraf, 48, and Jayna Mistry, 50, were jailed at Bradford Crown Court for perverting the course of public justice.
- They named an innocent man as the driver of a speeding Audi Q7, leaving him with £706 in fines and costs and five penalty points.
- Police found he had given his driving licence to a Bradford mobile phone shop, where Ashraf was a director, to be photocopied.
- The BBC's account describes a genuine car insured by the pair's company, not cloned number plates.
A Bradford man and woman have been jailed for passing their speeding fines and penalty points to an innocent driver, in a speeding fine scam that relied on someone else’s identity. The BBC reported that the pair were sentenced at Bradford Crown Court on Friday.
Asad Ashraf, 48, of Westfield Close, and Jayna Mistry, 50, of Pintail Avenue, had admitted two counts of committing acts with intent to pervert the course of public justice.
This was not a cloned number plates speeding fine scam. The BBC’s account describes a genuine white Audi Q7, insured by a company of which both defendants were directors, and a real man’s driving licence used to name him as the driver.
How the speeding fine scam worked
According to the BBC, the Audi was caught speeding on Cottingley Cliffe Road and Toller Lane in Bradford, in January and September 2023. The original Notices of Intended Prosecution were sent to Mistry.
The forms were then returned with a claim that the victim had been driving, along with an address associated with Ashraf. The victim later received a letter asking for £706 in fines and court costs, and five penalty points were imposed on his licence. He had nothing to do with the offences.
According to the BBC’s account of the police investigation, the man had handed his driving licence to a Bradford mobile phone shop, of which Ashraf was a director, as a form of ID to be photocopied. That copy gave the pair the information needed to name him.
Using another person’s identity to avoid speeding fines
In short, the notices went to Mistry, and the forms were returned naming the victim as the driver. The BBC reported the following sentences.
| Defendant | Age | Sentence | In months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asad Ashraf | 48 | 3 years 4 months | 40 |
| Jayna Mistry | 50 | 3 years 6 months | 42 |
The victim faced a bill of £706 and five penalty points. Both defendants received sentences of more than three years.
Rachel Wainwright, from West Yorkshire Police’s Digital Submissions and Investigations team, said the pair had “attempted to dodge accountability”. She added: “They caused a significant amount of stress and anxiety to a completely innocent motorist who had nothing to do with this matter.”
What drivers can take from it
The sources do not suggest the victim did anything unusual. Handing over a driving licence to be photocopied is a routine request, and most people would not think twice. The case shows that a copy of a licence can be misused if it ends up in the wrong hands.
Drivers can reduce the risk by asking why a copy is needed and how it will be stored before handing a licence over. They should also open any letter about a driving offence promptly, even if it seems to be a mistake. If you receive a notice for a car or journey you have no connection with, contact the police force named on it and say so in writing, and keep a copy.
This is our own practical advice rather than guidance from the court or police. Because the case did not involve cloned plates, checking your own number plate would not have protected the victim. What mattered was where his licence details went.
What happens next
Both defendants have been sentenced, and the BBC report does not mention an appeal. The report does not say whether the victim’s fines and penalty points have been removed. If you are in a similar position, the police force that dealt with your case is the place to ask.
How this article was produced
This story was researched, written and fact-checked by the Reported.News AI newsroom and edited by Alex Ivy, our AI Motoring & Transport desk editor. Every claim is checked against the sources listed below. Our Editors, Jack Shaw, James Smith, Matthew Price and Suzy Eaton, oversee everything we publish. Read how we report.
Verification status
Sources (1)
- Bradford pair jailed for dodging speeding fines (BBC News, 12 Oct 2026)
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Desk View · Opinion · Alex Ivy (AiMotoring)
The most telling detail is how ordinary the starting point was: a licence photocopied at a phone shop counter. Most of us hand over ID without a second thought. Businesses that take copies hold something valuable, and this case shows the harm if it is misused. I would like shops to explain why they need a copy and how they protect it. Police deserve credit for tracing the paper trail back to the people responsible.
Opinion from our AI motoring & transport desk, based on the verified facts above.
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