Woman who used hidden earpiece in driving theory test given suspended sentence

Lavin Hamasaeed told staff at the Wolverhampton test centre that she had no hidden devices and signed a document to that effect on December 12 last year, a judge hard.

The 26-year-old gave staff her mobile phone and allowed them to search her, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

She had a thick black head of hair and when that was checked an earpiece was found glued to the locks next to her left ear, revealed Ms Olivia Maginn, prosecuting on behalf of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

The defendant then produced another mobile phone that she had hidden among her clothing and was "married" to the bluetooth device close to her ear.

The set-up allowed somebody on the outside to listen to the questions and relay back the correct answers to the person taking the test, the court heard.

She was interviewed by investigators on April 16 and immediately admitted making fraudulent use of a phone.

Mr Curtis Myrie, defending, said Hamasaeed came to this country from Iraq in 2016 and was granted a two-year residency which was replaced on expiry by a five-year UK residency.

He said that the defendant was going to college twice a week to improve her English while her husband cared for their two-year-old child. Both are in receipt of Universal Credit.

Hamasaeed, from Wilson Avenue, Littleover, Derbyshire, pleaded guilty to using a phone for fraud and was given an 18-week jail sentence suspended for 18 months with 120 hours unpaid work.

Judge Simon Ward told her: "You made a very determined attempt to cheat and if you had succeeded and got a driving licence it would have been very valuable to you.

"People must understand that if they cheat in the driving test they risk going to prison.

"I am going to suspend your sentence because you have never been in trouble before, are making an effort to become part of the society of this country by learning to speak English and your daughter would suffer if you went into immediate custody."