Police officer who claimed windscreen was smashed by debris guilty of fraud after being caught by dashcam footage

Jury concluded Mohammed Yasin Mulla submitted false £10,000 insurance claim

A screengrab of the police officer's webcam shows some polystyrene flying close to his vehicle. (City of London Police/PA Wire)

A police officer has been found guilty of fraud after footage from his dashcam disproved his claim that his windscreen had been smashed by falling debris.

Mohammed Yasin Mulla, 38, was judged to have falsely lodged insurance claims of £10,000 for repairs and personal injuries.

Mulla said debris had fallen off a van on the M606 in Bradford, smashing his windscreen and damaging his vehicle’s roof and bonnet.

He also alleged he sustained shoulder and neck injuries in the incident, and had to swerve and brake quickly.

His dashcam, however, told a different story – showing some polystyrene packaging flying towards but missing his vehicle.

A jury at Leeds Crown Court found him found him guilty of fraud by false representation, according to City of London Police.

He was given 250 hours of unpaid work, to be completed within a year, but has appealed against his conviction.

Detective Constable Peter Gartland, who led the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED) investigation, said the case shows the law applies to everyone: “The IFED works to identify and punish fraudsters, irrespective of their profession.”

He added: “Police officers are expected to be honest and act with integrity, and the vast majority do, but cases such as this one threaten to damage the police’s reputation.”

Oz Khan, Detective Chief Superintendent of West Yorkshire Police’s Professional Standards Directorate, said Mulla would be on restricted duties while the force carries out its own investigation.