A MAN who was involved in a crash for cash collision in Denham which resulted in the death of a 34-year-old woman, has been jailed for nine years.

Ireneusz Marek Staniak was the final defendant standing trial for the landmark case investigated by Thames Valley Police after a collision in June 2011.

The 43-year-old from Ealing was convicted and sentenced to nine years imprisonment at Reading Crown Court on Friday.

Thames Valley Police said this case was the first of its kind in the country. The deliberately-caused accident arranged as part of a plan to commit insurance fraud led to a second collision causing the death of Baljinder Kaur Gill, from Stanwell.

Staniak was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment for causing death by dangerous driving and three months in prison to run concurrently for the count of fraud.

He is required to serve a minimum of half his sentence with the remainder on licence, has been disqualified from driving for five years and will have to sit an extended re-test.

Inspector James Upton, from the Thames Valley Police Road Death Investigation Team, said: “This court case involved the last of the defendants to face trial in the fatal Crash for Cash case.

“At the conclusion of this two week trial, the jury today found Staniak guilty of causing the death of Ms Baljinder Gill by dangerous driving and conspiracy to commit fraud.

“As the judge mentioned, there was no doubt that Staniak had entered knowingly and willingly in this criminal enterprise.

“This has been a very long process for the family of Baljinder to endure and I want to pay tribute to them for their patience, dignity and strength throughout the last three years.

“Today's conviction and sentence should serve as both a warning and a reminder to all that there is no place for such criminal activity on our roads. Thames Valley police are determined to make the roads a safe place for all users and will take every opportunity to bring those responsible for such crimes to justice.”

The incident happened at around 8.25pm on Saturday, June 11, 2011 on the A40 Western Avenue, between the Swakeley roundabout and Denham, heading out of London.

Two collisions took place in short succession of each other in lane three. The first was a deliberate act where the defendants used a Volkswagen Passat and an Audi A3 to perform a dangerous manoeuvre to ensure that a collision occurred with an innocent Ford Transit Van and a Ford Fiesta, in order to claim personal injury compensation.

This staged collision then led to a second collision between a Renault Traffic van and the Fiesta, causing Ms Gill’s death.

Six people were sentenced in February 2013 for their involvement in the fatal collision.