Legal background aggravating factor
A personal injury lawyer who falsely claimed his vehicle was damaged by potholes for insurance payouts, twice, has been found guilty of fraud following a local council investigation.
According to Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Alykhaan Nourani was found guilty of four counts of fraud relating to false vehicle claims by unanimous verdict at Hanley Crown Court.
In November 2019 and April 2021, Nourani, a personal injury specialist, had submitted fraudulent claims that potholes had damaged his vehicle to the council. An insurance officer for the council noticed anomalies in the April 2021 invoice provided by Nourani from a local dealership. A similar pattern was then found with an earlier invoice from November 2019.
The council’s corporate fraud team later investigated Nourani as part of “ongoing work to tackle fraud and protect vital public funds”.
When sentencing Nourani, the judge highlighted his role as a solicitor being an aggravating factor in his high level of culpability. According to the council’s report, the probation officer “confirmed Nourani showed no remorse for his actions”.
Nourani was given an eight-month suspended sentence and he was ordered to pay £30,000 costs, plus the original £874 for the fraudulent invoice. Nourani was also ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work and to follow a six-month curfew between 7pm and 7am.
Councillor Amjid Wazir OBE said:
“Let this be a clear warning — we will not tolerate fraud in this city… I’d like to thank the individuals and businesses who have assisted this investigation and provided vital evidence in court. Fraud will not be ignored in Stoke-on-Trent — we will always take strong action to protect the public purse.”
Besides his suspended sentence, Nourani has also been referred to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). On the SRA’s website, it states Nourani has been a solicitor since 2014.
In 2023, the regulator imposed conditions on Nourani’s practising certificate. These conditions mean Nourani requires approval from the SRA to work for any law firm, is unable to act as a manager, and is prevented from holding client money.
At that time Nourani had been working for Simcox Oliver — a Manchester firm. The SRA closed down Simcox Oliver in 2024, owing to “suspect dishonesty by Mrs Simcox-Oliver in connection with the firm’s business”.
