Driving school fraud made £8k in a year

Lisa Branston, 40, of Link Road, Canvey, set up her own Canvey-based driving school, but did not have a licence to teach people how to drive.

In just over a year, Branston managed to make about £8,000, using an expired trainee instructor’s licence.

She pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud at Basildon Crown Court and will be sentenced early next year.

One of her pupils, Niki Albon, 18, was stunned to learn of the fraud.

He said Branston was a good instructor, whose lessons helped him and twin brother Sammy to pass their driving tests at their first attempts.

Branston was recommended to them by a friend from Seevic College in Thundersley, which the brothers used to attend.

Niki said he never doubted Branston was the real thing, although he did find it odd when she was unable to give him a phone number.

He said: “She was a good instructor. She was a mum, so she had maternal instincts, and she was nice, very friendly.

“I thought she had done really well starting up her own business and she always had a full diary.”

Police officers visited Niki and Sammy, who live in Roosevelt Avenue, Canvey, to explain Branston was not a qualified instructor.

Branston then pleaded guilty to four fraud offences, involving four clients, at Basildon Crown Court.

They were carried out between June 2009 and September this year.

The first offence took place between June last year and September this year, when Branston posed as a fully-qualified driving instructor to the Albon brothers.

The second charge took place between September last year and July this year, in which Branston duped customer James Fairman.

Sophie Oliver was the third victim and was conned between November last year and September this year.

The final offence was committed between November last year and June this year, when Branston conned Jerri-Louise Fletcher into thinking she was a driving instructor.

Branston has been ordered to appear for sentencing at Basildon Crown Court on January 17.