Conwoman who staged supermarket 'trip' is sentenced for fraud

* FARIDA ASHRAF WAS CAUGHT ON CCTV IN SUPERMARKET COMPENSATION SCAM * SHE 'TRIPPED' OVER CRATE OF ORANGE JUICE PLACED ON FLOOR BY TWO ACCOMPLICES * ASHRAF, 41, SAID SHE INJURED

SHOULDER, SHIN AND HIP AND CLAIMED COMPENSATION  * COURT HEARD SHE WAITED 9 MONTHS TO PUT CLAIM IN HOPING 'MEMORIES WOULD FADE' * AFTER LENGTHY LEGAL BATTLE SHE WAS GIVEN SUSPENDED

SENTENCE FOR FRAUD By JOSEPH CURTIS FOR MAILONLINE Published: 11:34 EDT, 2 April 2019 | Updated: 11:44 EDT, 2 April 2019 This is the bizarre moment a conwoman pretended to trip over a crate

of orange juice in an attempt to claim £3,000 compensation. Farida Ashraf, 41, was caught on CCTV stumbling over the pack at Al-Halal supermarket in Bradford, West Yorkshire, in 2013, and

claimed it caused injuries to her shoulder, shin, calf and hip.  But the cameras also caught the moment two accomplices deliberately placed the crate on the floor moments before Ashraf

walked into it. The footage shows her barely connecting with the package before walking out of the shop unaided.   It was used against her by insurers Aviva in a private prosecution that saw

Ashraf admit fraud at court and she was today handed a 21-month suspended sentence.  The original incident took place in February 2013, and Bradford Crown Court heard Ashraf then waited

almost a year to make the compensation claim. The court was told Ashraf hoped 'memories had faded enough and that CCTV had been erased' so that the compensation would be processed

without being questioned.  But Aviva launched an extensive investigation which ended in a civil court case in 2016 which found Ashraf's claim was 'fundamentally dishonest'. 

Aviva then decided to pursue a private prosecution after the police and CPS declined to investigate.  Prosecuting, Nicholas Lumley QC described Bradford as 'something of a hotspot'

for insurance fraud, putting it ahead of places such as London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Liverpool. He said: 'It is, we think, the first private prosecution arising out of a public

liability insurance claim.'  Mr Lumley said she had hoped memories would have faded by then and the CCTV from the Al-Halal premises would have been erased but a suspicious staff member

had kept it.  Ashraf's bogus claim had led to staff at the store having the finger pointed at them while she even tried to blame her respected solicitors for instigating the claim

without her permission.  The court also heard her actions had run up huge legal bills, with the private prosecution thought to have cost £50,000 and the previous civil case hitting 'six

figures'.   Sentencing her, Judge David Hatton QC said these cases would not be tolerated.  He told Ashraf, who had no previous convictions, the scam had been 'premeditated and

planned'. He said: 'You no doubt anticipated that the insurance company of the supermarket would pay up with little or no questions. Happily, they did not. 'Fraudulent

insurance claims are rife currently and certainly are so in this city and there has to be a deterrent in the form of a sentence of imprisonment.' Ashraf will also have to comply with an

electronically-monitored curfew between 9pm and 6am for the next six months. Judge Hatton agreed to make a costs order in favour of the prosecution from central funds saying that the case

had been 'properly and responsibly' brought by the insurance company. Speaking after the hearing, Richard Hiscocks, Aviva's director of casualty claims, said: 'This

staged accident is a clear example of a fraudster trying to claim some easy cash - and she now has a criminal conviction to show for it. 'Aviva takes a zero-tolerance approach to fraud

and we'll do everything we can to defend our customers against such claims.' Damian Rouke, a partner with global law firm Clyde & Co, which acted for Aviva, added: 'This

case is a warning to anyone thinking about taking a fall or slipping on a rug in order to claim money. 'Aviva and the courts will not tolerate this kind of fraud. Phoney falls are

costing UK policyholders millions of pounds and increase the cost of insurance for everyone.'