Neil John Lewis falsified an MOT certificate for a white Volkswagen Tiguan just weeks before it was involved in a crash that resulted in three fatalities. The vehicle had previously been salvaged after an accident in Scotland in 2021.
MOT Test Irregularities
The car's MOT, conducted on February 9, 2023, failed due to a warning light indicating a fault with the seatbelt, airbag, or both. The recorded mileage at this point was approximately 98,000 miles.
Alexander Lewis, the defendant's son, performed various repairs on the vehicle. However, he stated that he was unable to address the warning system, as the garage lacked the capability for such repairs. On February 23, 2023, Lewis retested the car.
According to his police interview, Lewis reported that the seatbelt and warning light were no longer illuminated, and the rear seatbelt was functional. He subsequently passed the vehicle with some advisories. The car was then collected by Rafel Jeanne, who was driving on the night of the fatal crash.
Joel Lia, a friend of Jeanne, had purchased the salvaged vehicle at auction. The car was involved in the fatal collision shortly after being collected.