A taxi driver who falsely claimed his dog had died while chasing a seagull has been spared jail for an elaborate insurance fraud. Robert Cretu, 40, of Lapwing Road in Kirkby, admitted five counts of fraud by false representation after making dozens of claims for pets that never existed.
Fictional dogs and tragic tales
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Monday, August 18, that Cretu made a total of 30 false claims to five different insurers relating to fictitious dogs supposedly being killed, "usually by being hit by a car." The fraud, which ran between December 2023 and August 2025, saw him pocket £31,700.
The court was told how Cretu invented stories in which one dog had jumped into the sea from Blackpool Pier, while another was supposedly struck by a lorry during a trip to the Lake District. He submitted false documents and veterinary notes to support the claims.
Claims in fake names
Sarah Egan, prosecuting, described how Cretu took out most of the insurance policies in fake names, with payments made into bank accounts under the names of others. Eight claims were made to Pinnacle Pets UK, including one that paid him £1,100 in March 2024 after he alleged a dog called Lola had died after being hit by a lorry in the Lake District.
Cretu also falsely reported to several insurers that another pet, named Leo, had fallen into the sea from Blackpool Pier while chasing a seagull. Some claims did not result in payment after suspicions were raised, while others were not completed or deemed invalid. One claim, relating to an apparently deceased Doberman, was rejected due to "excessive costs" and a lack of confirmation that a supposed cremation had taken place.
Defence and sentencing
Sarah Griffin, defending, told the court that Cretu is the sole breadwinner for his family, having stopped working as a factory supervisor and taken on low-income delivery jobs. She said his taxi broke down multiple times, and he is concerned that his partner and her 10-year-old child could lose their home. He intends to repay the insurers from his income.
Sentencing, Judge Gary Woodhall said Cretu's offending was "prolonged" and involved "multiple applications" to insurers. He noted that Cretu, who was born in Romania and received settled status in 2019, had expressed remorse and had no further offending since September 2025. The judge said he was "just persuaded" that a suspended sentence was appropriate, given the potential impact on others and the loss of employment that would flow from immediate custody.
Cretu was handed a 20-month imprisonment suspended for 18 months with a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 20 days.
