AN MOT tester has been handed a suspended prison sentence after he was caught issuing fake certificates.

Muhammad Irfan, who was working for Newport Transport Limited at the time, was prosecuted by the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

The defendant pleaded guilty to 12 counts of fraud.

He committed the offences between November 14, 2022, and December 12, 2022, Newport Magistrates’ Court was told.

A DVSA spokesperson said: “He had issued pass certificates to vehicles he had seen but not carried out a full examination of them.

READ MORE: Dodgy mechanic issued fake MOTs for five years

“This meant that he had missed vital parts of the examination.

“The judge said that allowing vehicles (mainly taxis) an MOT when they had not been appropriately tested, posed an enormous safety risk to the public.

“The DVSA has removed this tester from the MOT services for the maximum five years.

“He will need to reapply if he wants to restart as an MOT tester in the future.”

Irfan avoided an immediate jail sentence after the court heard about his “previous clean character, remorse and family needs”.

The 38-year-old was sent to prison for four months suspended for 12 months.

The defendant, of Castle Street, Newport must perform 150 hours of unpaid work.

Irfan also has to pay £1,154 in costs and a surcharge.

The DVSA spokesperson added: “It really isn’t worth it to issue fake MOTs.

“You could lose your job if you do.

“DVSA can and does take this kind of behaviour very seriously and will take action."

Editor's note: The original article stated that Ifran worked for Newport council, in line with information provided by the DVSA.