Policeman accused of faking car theft
A Scottish court has heard how a Crime Squad detective faked the theft of his broken-down car and torched it instead of forking out for a hefty repair bill.
Alan Gavin's ex-wife told Falkirk Sheriff Court that he reported the 'theft' to his motor insurance company and received a pay-out of £4,125 with which he bought a new vehicle.
Mrs Gavin, a 43-year-old mother-of-two, said the incident happened in January 2000 when the couple were still married and living in Falkirk. Their M-reg Nissan Primera broke down after a family shopping trip and Mr Gavin arranged for it to be taken to a garage and then towed back to their home. It emerged that the car needed a new engine and would cost several thousand pounds to repair, money the Gavins didn't have.
The couple agreed that they would do an 'insurance job' on the car, hoax its theft and then report it to their insurance company. They realised that in doing so they would lose their cheap car insurance premium, but went ahead with the plan anyway.
The policeman's former wife told the court how Alan and his brother, Gavin, decided to dispose of the car and towed it away one evening, returning several hours later. She said, "They told me they'd been to hospital because Alan had got burnt setting the car on fire.
"Alan told me he was pouring petrol into the car and it flared back on him. He got himself tidied up and they eventually reported the car missing to Linlithgow police office."
The 'stolen' car was discovered burnt out a few days later and Mr Gavin made a claim to his motor insurance firm, who paid him the value of the car.
He denies obtaining car insurance money by fraud, and wasting police time by making a false report of a crime. The trial continues.