The death of innocent motorist Baljinder Gill was the first ever UK fatality from a ‘cash for crash’ fraud.

Cash for crash

A Polish gangster was jailed for nine years for causing the death of an innocent driver in a ‘cash for crash’ fraud.

Ireneusz Marek Staniak was part of a gang that caused a crash at around 8.25pm on June 11, 2011, on the A40 Western Avenue, between the Swakeley roundabout and Denham, heading out of London.

The Polish gang used a Volkswagen Passat and an Audi A3 to perform a dangerous manoeuvre to force a collision between an innocent Ford Transit Van driver and a Ford Fiesta.

The Fiesta then collided with another vehicle, a Renault Traffic van. This led to the death of innocent motorist Baljinder Gill, 34, the first fatality ever in a ‘cash for crash’ fraud.

Staniak, 43, from Berners Avenue, Ealing, was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment at Reading Crown Court for causing death by dangerous driving and three months in prison to run concurrently for the count of fraud.

Four other Polish gangsters were jailed for sentences ranging between six and 10 years for causing death by dangerous driving.

A 32-year-old man, who was not part of the fraud, was also jailed for careless driving.

Inspector James Upton, from the Thames Valley Police Road Death Investigation Team, said: “This has been a very long process for the family of Baljinder to endure and I want to pay tribute to them for their patience, dignity and strength throughout the last three years.

“Today’s conviction and sentence should serve as both a warning and a reminder to all that there is no place for such criminal activity on our roads.”

Topics