An equipment operator with the City of Prince George pleaded guilty April 1 to providing false or misleading information to ICBC.
Provincial Court Judge Charles Hutchinson fined Parmjeet Singh Bhathal $2,000 under the Insurance Vehicle Act after the 56-year-old lied to ICBC between Sept. 9 and Dec. 16, 2024.
“Mr. Bhathal fraudulently reported an accident that he had caused as having happened to his vehicle when it was unattended at a different location,” Hutchinson said. “Given opportunities to change his statement, he declined, and only when presented with video evidence did he finally acknowledge responsibility.”
Court heard that Bhathal was driving a vehicle that struck a parked vehicle in the Costco lot on Sept. 7, 2024, causing damage to both vehicles. He drove away without leaving a note for the driver of the other vehicle.
Two days later, Bhathal filed a damage claim with ICBC, alleging a collision in the Walmart parking lot on Sept. 8, 2024.
Damage was estimated at $7,270.
He signed a copy of his statement to ICBC on Sept. 30, 2024. An ICBC representative emailed Bhathal on Oct. 2, 2024, asking if he was aware of any other collisions involving his vehicle. He said he was not.
On Dec. 16, 2024, a special investigations unit officer interviewed Bhathal and gave him the opportunity to change his statement. He declined, until the officer informed him that the collision outside Costco was captured by a surveillance camera.
Bhathal also admitted the Walmart hit-and-run report was false.
“Crown submits deterrence is paramount for this type of offence, because it is easy to commit, hard to detect, and consists of fraud against a public benefit scheme, which relies on honest reporting to function,” said Eva Miller, an articled law student acting for the Crown.
Bhathal’s lawyer, David Jenkins Jr., told Hutchinson his client was born and raised in India and came to Canada in 1994. Jenkins said Bhathal has worked for 25 years with the city and runs a janitorial business on the side. He has no criminal record, but is remorseful.
Jenkins said Bhathal spent thousands of dollars on repairs after his claim was denied. ICBC also decided to only issue him basic insurance for a period of three years after the incident.
