Food delivery rider's insurance fraud serves up seven months' porridge

A food delivery rider from South London has been sent to prison for seven months after fraudulently claiming almost £80,000 to hire a motorcycle, after he claimed his bike had been damaged in a motor accident.

Kelvin Sakyi, 22, from the Canada Estate in Surrey Quays, told insurer Aviva that that he had to hire the motorcycle for 11 months because his bike was almost a write-off after it was struck from behind on the A3 Newington Causeway in February 2019.

But investigators from law firm Clyde & Co, acting on behalf of Aviva, discovered that Mr Sakyi’s allegedly damaged bike passed its MOT inspection seven months after the accident. Investigators also found that Mr Sakyi had been involved in another motor accident in September 2019 – seven months after the accident – and had been riding the supposedly damaged motorcycle.

In addition, an analysis of CCTV footage of the original accident showed that Mr Sakyi’s version of events was also false. He claimed that he had been struck in the rear, but footage showed Mr Sakyi clearly cutting across in front of the other driver’s vehicle and colliding with its front wing.

Having been found fundamentally dishonest at Hastings County Court in May 2021, insurer Aviva and Clyde & Co asked for Mr Sakyi to be found in contempt of court. The matter was referred to the High Court in London for committal proceedings on 6 June 2023 where Judge HHJ Wall sentenced Mr Sakyi to seven months in prison.

Damian Rourke, partner, Clyde & Co, said: “This is one of the worst fraudulent hire cases I’ve come across and it’s right Mr Sakyi has been punished with a jail term. He claimed his motorcycle was almost written off yet we have proof he was riding it while he was trying to charge Aviva for a rental. Seven months should give him plenty of time to reflect on what he’s done.”

Pete Ward, head of claims counter fraud, Aviva, said: “Mr Sakyi’s brazen attempt to defraud Aviva only serves to highlight our commitment to investigate and prosecute fraud where we detect it. We are here to pay genuine claims quickly and fairly, but equally, we will not tolerate dishonest claims. Fraud pushes up the cost of premiums for innocent customers, which is especially significant given the current economic challenges. We therefore welcome the sentencing of Mr Sakyi and hope this proves a deterrent to other would-be fraudsters.”