Man stole wife’s jewellery and claimed £11,000 in insurance

A POLICE officer has been jailed for a year for stealing his wife’s jewellery and pawning it before trying to pin the blame on rogue workmen.

Nadim Ahmed, 29, reported to fellow officers that jewels and some electrical equipment had gone missing from his home.

He lodged a claim with his insurance company for £11,500 and provided a statement to a colleague. But his wife Bushra later found her jewellery stashed in his car with pawn documents.

Ahmed stood trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court where he was found guilty of stealing jewellery between January 2011 and December 2012, wasting police time and attempting to defraud Direct Line insurance.

He denied the charges and claimed his wife knew about the jewellery he pawned because they had money worries, and that she was trying to get him into trouble. However, Sheriff Brian Adair told him: “I found your evidence to be untruthful.

“You regularly avoided answering the simplest of questions.”

Passing sentence yesterday, he said: “No other method of dealing with you is appropriate other than prison, in view of the charges.”

In evidence Mrs Ahmed recalled becoming aware of the missing jewels when her sister came to borrow some in December 2012.

The 30-year-old stored the items in the loft of the couple’s home in the city’s Possilpark – but when she went back they were gone.

The haul included her engagement ring as well treasured neck- lace sets, bangles and other gems.

Ahmed, who has six years’ police service, later made inquiries about making an insurance claim which he then cancelled without his wife knowing.

His call was played to the court and the PC seemed to suggest a man called “Dave” – who he hired to fix a TV aerial in his loft – could be responsible.

Mrs Ahmed said: “I was really upset at the time. There was a lot of sentimental value. He [Ahmed] told me that, being a police officer, he would deal with it.”

She said she was later left stunned when she discovered her jewellery boxes in Ahmed’s car.

The computer software specialist recalled: “I peered inside and there were red boxes. I recognised them as my jewellery boxes.”

The court heard how one was empty, but inside the other was a necklace set which had been a wedding gift from her husband.

Mrs Ahmed then discovered a receipt which she told the court was “an agreement that he had pawned some of the jewellery”.

“I was shocked,” she said. “There had never been any discussion before about pawning jewellery as we had no financial difficulties.”

She later found three other pawn receipts detailing jewellery that had been taken. Ahmed insisted it was not her items that had been sold off, but “someone else’s”.

However, Mrs Ahmed decided to visit the pawn shop in question and instantly recognised her jewellery.

Ahmed claimed that twice he pawned jewellery after arguments with his wife and that she knew.

He also said that when they did not move to a bigger house as she wanted, she wanted “many home improvements”

He said: “I was paying for them because I was told ‘it’s your responsibility you’re the husband’.”

Defence lawyer Urfan Dar lodged an appeal against Ahmed’s conviction which will be dealt with at a later date.