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Mechanic who falsified MOT before fatal St Mellons crash given community order
Overview
A mechanic, Neil John Lewis, has been sentenced to a 12-month community order with 100 hours of unpaid work after pleading guilty to fraud by false representation for issuing a fraudulent MOT certificate. The car was involved in a fatal crash in St Mellons, Cardiff, in March 2023, which killed three people—Eve Smith, Darcy Ross, and Rafel Jeanne—and left two others critically injured. Although the prosecution did not ask for the fatal crash to be treated as an aggravating factor, the judge noted the wider impact of his actions, describing it as a dereliction of his duty as an MOT tester.
Key points
- Neil John Lewis, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by false representation for giving a fraudulent MOT.
- The car failed an MOT on 9 February 2023 due to warning lights indicating seatbelt or airbag faults, but Lewis passed it two weeks later despite defective seatbelts.
- The vehicle was involved in a fatal crash in St Mellons, Cardiff, in March 2023, resulting in the deaths of Eve Smith, Darcy Ross, and Rafel Jeanne.
- Two other occupants, Sophie Russon and Shane Loughlin, survived with critical injuries after the vehicle lay undiscovered in woodland for two days.
- Lewis received a 12-month community order, 100 hours of unpaid work, and was ordered to pay a £185 court surcharge and £114 costs.