Allianz secures 13-month sentence against insurance fraudster who set fire to his factory

A company director has been jailed for 13 months for setting fire to his factory in an attempt to defraud his insurer, Allianz.

The company director admitted to starting the blaze at his printer supply factory in Dundee. The Sherriff Court sentenced him to 13 months in prison on 4 March.

James Burge, head of counter fraud at Allianz Commercial, commented: “This is a good result for our major loss team. Not only does it emphasise our zero tolerance approach to fraud, it also demonstrate how strongly we collaborate with all our suppliers.” 

The fire occurred on 11 February 2018 in a room storing ink cartridges for printer supplies company Fazteck. The building was owned by a company called Chohan. Both businesses, which were managed by the company director and his family, filed claims for losses totalling just over £2 million.

Investigations from Allianz and its partner suppliers quickly established the fire was suspicious. Naked flames had started the blaze, suggesting arson. And CCTV footage showed the company director emerging from a building where smoke was coming from.

Finally, a search of the Fazteck premises recovered policy documents where information on claims pay-outs had been highlighted.

The evidence gathered by Sedgwick and the legal work carried out by BLM contributed to the company director pleading guilty to wilful fire raising and attempted fraud when his case was heard at the Dundee Sheriff Court.

Mark Dugdale