A former bodybuilding champion who tried to cheat his driving test by sending in a lookalike and using a secret Bluetooth earpiece, has been jailed.
Staff at two different test centres spotted Amir Lorzadeh, 38, as he tried to insert a Bluetooth earpiece into headphones that helped translate the UK theory test.
The personal trainer who came to the UK from Iran in 2016, then applied for a third theory test at Redditch test centre - but got another man who resembled him to attend and take the test in his name.
At Gloucester Crown Court on Thursday (October 29), Lorzadeh of Birmingham, was jailed for 11 months.
Lorzadeh, who had been convicted of the first two offences at a trial and then admitted the third, was jailed by Judge Jason Taylor QC, who told him: "You had callous disregard of the integrity of a system which is design to ensure that only those qualified to drive safely get behind the wheel of a car."
Having watched the videos of Lorzadeh inserting the electronic devices into the headphones, Judge Taylor said: "You have to be very eagle-eyed to spot those manoeuvres - they were almost undetectable."
The court heard that applicants whose first language is not English can be provided with headphones to listen to the questions in their own language.
On December 13, 2017, Lorzadeh was seen on CCTV inserting the hidden Bluetooth speaker into the headphones, and an invigilator interrupted the test and asked for the headphones to be removed.
Lorzadeh then put up a struggle when he was asked to remove the device, and tried to stop the invigilator removing the headphones. He then tried to tried to remove an object from the device with a clenched fist.
The court was told that a similar scenario occurred at the test centre in Sutton Coldfield on November 7, 2018.
Lorzadeh was observed placing his belongings into a locker, where he dropped what looked like a digital earpiece.
Prosecutor Justin Davies said: "Lorzadeh was placed near the invigilator's desk so that his movement could be monitored. He was observed passing a device from his hand into the headphones, whereupon test centre staff intervened to confirm their suspicions.
"Lorzadeh then removed the device and concealed it within his clenched fist. He was then removed from the examination."
The court was told that a further theory test was booked for November 25 last year at Redditch, and this time he got someone resembling him to attend the test.
Judge Taylor interjected: "He seems to think the theory test is an inconvenience and is an unnecessary obstacle in his way."
Sentencing Lorzadeh he said: "Your actions show a brazen disrespect of due process in continuing to offend whilst awaiting trial.
"Individually and together these are serious offences, especially when you consider the planning undertaken during the process which would have involved others at the other end of the Bluetooth device.
"I don't believe you are remorseful as you committed this offending on more than one occasion.
"Your lack of insight and your minimising of the seriousness of your offending does not reflect well on you."
Lorzadeh was found guilty after a trial in January this year of two counts of possessing an article for use in fraud and pleaded guilty on September 21 this year to supplying an article - a provisonal driving licence - to the person who resembled him for use in fraud.
The judge jailed Lorzadeh for 11 months and told him that he was not able to suspend the sentence.
