Barking driving examiner guilty of bribery escapes jail sentence

A crooked driving examiner involved in a conspiracy to take �1,000 bribes to pass candidates at Barking Test Centre has been spared jail.

Nick Madigan, 38, was one of two men working with instructor Salima Rashid who took bungs from hapless learners including an ‘atrocious’ driver who had failed four times.

Grandmother-of-eight Rashid split the backhanders with examiner Kulwinder Mann, 47, at the test centre in Tanner Street who passed some candidates without them even taking to the road.

Madigan, of Kitkatts Road, Canvey Island, admitted conspiracy to commit bribery before the trials of Rashid and Mann.

He was given a 12 months sentence suspended for two years and placed under a two year supervision order and told he must complete 200 hours unpaid work.

Rashid, 49, of St George’s Avenue, Grays was jailed for two years on March 11 for her role in the scam.

Jonathan Ashley-Norman, defending told the court his client had only been involved on one occasion.

He said: “Mr Mann had a hold over my client and he created an atmosphere within the examination centre that made it difficult to stand up to him and to challenge what was going on.

“Mr Madigan is bitterly regrets not standing up to Mr Mann and not having taken action against the corrupt practices.”

Mann, 47, of Chadwell Heath Lane, Chadwell Heath, who suffers mental health problems, is still to be sentenced.