Restaurant boss paid 'Mr Fix It' to make speeding points 'go away' but it came back 'to haunt' him

The shadowy 'Mr Fit It' provided details of an innocent driver who ended up being prosecuted and convicted in his absence - only finding out when he went to renew insurance

A restaurant boss feared losing his driving licence and business after being caught speeding so turned to a "Mr Fix It" to make the penalty points go away, a court has heard. The actions of Shaheen Miah resulted in an innocent driver hundreds of miles away being done for speeding - something the victim only discovered when he came to renew his insurance.

The defendant paid £300 to a shadowy "Mr Fix It" who assured him he could make the penalty points problem "go away". The decision led to Miah appearing in the dock of a crown court and to being disqualified from driving anyway, with a judge telling him: "That which you sought to avoid has come back to haunt you".

David Singh, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court that on November 14, 2022, a Mercedes ML320 car activated a speed camera on Colby Road in Burry Port, Carmarthenshire, and a notice of intended prosecution or "Nip" was sent to the registered owner, the defendant Miah. The barrister said two reminders were sent to the same address and then, on December 30, the Nip was returned to the authorities naming the driver on the day in question as a Mr Ahmed with an address in Hayes in west London. The court heard that, though Mr Ahmed was a genuine driver, the address provided by Miah was not correct.

The prosecutor said the Nip was duly sent to Mr Ahmed and when no reply was forthcoming he was convicted in absence and given six penalty points on his licence. Mr Ahmed only realised he had been prosecuted and convicted many months later when he tried to renew his motor traders insurance policy. The court heard that Miah was interviewed about the matter in February, 2024, and admitted he had been given Mr Ahmed's details by a third party. He also confirmed that at the time of the original Burry Port incident he had six penalty points on his licence following speeding convictions in Cardiff and in south east London. Read about a driver who turned to criminals at a Swansea 'Nip farm' to try to avoid a speeding conviction

Shaheen Miah, aged 55, of Lincoln Street, Llandysul, Carmarthenshire, had previously pleaded guilty to doing an act intending to pervert the course of justice when he appeared in the dock. David Leathley, for Miah, said the defendant ran the Taj Indian restaurant in Llandysul, a business which employed three other people, and he required a driving licence in order to do his job.

He said when the notice of intended prosecution arrived the defendant "panicked" that the extra speeding points could mean the loss of his licence and so turned to a "Mr Fix It" who assured him that, for a payment of £300, "he could make the problem go away". The barrister said his client was a "hitherto respectable family man" who was well-regarded at the West Wales Islamic Cultural Association for his community work, and he said Miah's decision to turn to the Mr Fix It was something he would regret for the rest of his life. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter here

Judge Geraint Walters told the defendant that in paying someone £300 to "get yourself out of a hole" he had done "a very stupid thing". He said the courts took offences of perverting the course of justice very seriously and said such offending ordinarily attracted a sentence of immediate imprisonment - however, he said in this case he was properly able to suspended the sentence.

With a one-quarter discount for his guilty plea, Miah was sentenced to eight months in prison suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work in the community. He must also pay £500 towards prosecution costs. The defendant was disqualified from driving for six months, with Judge Walters adding: "That which you sought to avoid has come back to haunt you".

This interactive tool allows you to check the latest crime statistics for your area: