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A Southend factory worker has been sentenced for submitting three false personal injury claims to Allianz.

Julius Sodipo, 34, from Shoeburyness was handed a 12-month community order and was ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work and pay costs of £145 in costs at the City of London Magistrates Court on 12 April.

Sodipo pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud by false representation.

The sentencing followed an investigation by the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED).

Sodipo submitted a genuine claim for an injury he sustained at a factory where he had worked for three days in 2001 and was paid just over £5,000 compensation for his injuries.

He then submitted further false claims between 2010 and 2014, using similar details and circumstances to the genuine accident, despite no longer working at the factory.

Allianz rejected the false claims.

IFED detective constable Eva Woods, who investigated the case, said: “Sodipo thought that there was little or no risk in submitting the fraudulent claims through ‘no win, no fee’ law firms. He thought at best he would get another pay-out and at worst the claim would just get rejected.

“However, submitting a false claim is a criminal offence, and Sodipo now has a criminal record which will follow him around for years to come. I also hope the story of this case acts as a warning to others who think it is OK to make a false claim.”

Allianz head of casualty claims Lee Watts added: “I’m not sure why Mr Sodipo thought he could get away with submitting multiple fraudulent claims for injuries when he wasn’t even working for the company at the time.

“I would have been disappointed had we not caught such a blatant attempt at trying to commit fraud and I’m afraid Mr Sodipo will now have to live with the consequences of trying to defraud Allianz.”