Legal News

“Cash for crash” gang members who staged a tragic pile up as part of an insurance scam that killed an innocent Stanwell woman have been jailed for a total of more than 32 years.
Baljinder Gill, 34, of Dutch Barn Close, was caught up in the middle of the planned collision in the fast lane of dual carriageway after the thugs set up a deliberate crash to falsely claim an insurance payout the court was told.
The trial of gang members Radoslaw Bielawski, Andrzez Skowron and Jacek Kowalczyk, all from London, lasted for eight weeks where they were found guilty of causing Miss Gill’s death by dangerous driving and conspiracy to commit fraud.
Mr Justice Sweeney said that the gang had manufactured the cash for crash to cause a road traffic accident for the purpose of financial gain.
This is was the first such case to come before the courts which resulted in the death of someone he added.
Noel Lucas QC, prosecuting, told the jury how on June 11 2011 at 8.30pm conditions on the westbound carriageway of the A40 near Denham, Bucks, were dry and light.
He said motorists had good visibility and there was no good reason that Miss Gill should have lost her life that day.
Miss Gill’s vehicle was involved in a collision in the outside lane of the westbound carriageway of the A40 which had been quite deliberately manufactured and orchestrated.
It was a deliberate act of false collision and it was because of that Miss Gill found herself stationary when she met her death.
The prosecutor told the jury that the original plan was to cause the crash of the business van in front of Miss Gill because the gang knew it would have a valid insurance. The van driver managed to stop safely but Miss Gill’s car rammed into the back of it.
She left the immobile car in the lane with its hazard lights flashing and it was only when she went back to the back to retrieve something she was killed.
Kowalczyk, 32, Bielawski, 24, and Skowron, 26, were each jailed for 10 years for causing death by dangerous driving. Each was banned for driving for five years and will have to retake a test before he drives again.
Kowalczyk and Bielawski were also ordered to serve a further three months in jail for perverting the course of justice.
The driver of the van that killed Miss Gill, Colin Lee, 34, of Aylesbury, was not part of the scam, but was jailed for 12 months after being convicted of causing death by careless driving after being cleared of causing death by dangerous driving.
He was banned for driving for 12 months and will have to re-sit a test before being allowed to be back on the road.
Mr Justice Sweeney said he had been inadvertently caught up in the cash for crash scam but the manner of his driving fell short and he should have been able prevent a collision with Miss Gill’s stricken car.