Music teacher faked Covid test to get on aeroplane
A MUSIC teacher made a counterfeit Covid-19 test certificate in an attempt to board a flight to Egypt.
Phillip Cunningham, from
Kings Norton, Birmingham, admitted sending police on a
“wild goose chase” after presenting the document at Heathrow Airport.
The 33-year-old used a legitimate test result from earlier in the year and altered it to make it look up to date.
But he was rumbled after an eagle-eyed Egyptair worker spotted a missing digit.
At Birmingham Magistrates Court, Cunningham pleaded guilty to a forgery and counterfeit offence of making a false instrument.
But Judge Briony Clarke criticised him for only confessing his con after “sending officers around the houses a bit”.
Cunningham tried his luck on May 4 this year. Prosecutor Ros Butler said: “Police received a call to go to Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport and go to the check-in area for Egyptair.
“Staff said a man presented what they believed was a fraudulent negative Covid-19 certificate.
“The airline member of staff noticed a digit was missing in the passport section.”
Cunningham showed staff the certificate in a pdf document on his phone and claimed his bosses organised the test and sent him a copy of the result.
Police contacted the testing company which confirmed he had a negative test in February but could not possibly have revisited the same test centre the day before his flight, May 3, because they no longer subcontracted to his employer.
Ms Butler added: “He provided an account to officers at the scene. They made further enquiries and were not happy with the situation. He was arrested.
“He was interviewed at the police station and did go on to make a full admission. He admitted using a previous negative certificate and altering the date to make it look like a valid Covid-19 certificate. He said he had done this, he didn’t want to lie and that he had sent officers on a wild goose chase.
“He had paid for a Covid-19 test before. He is a music teacher and was worried this could affect
‘most of my life’.
“The situation escalated quicker than he expected.”