Solaiman Yousef Sharief, of Frampton Street, City of Westminster, travelled to various DVSA testing centres, including Fareham near Portsmouth, impersonating eight different people.
At Southampton Magistrates’ Court it emerged he passed six tests but failed two others – and was caught as a result when photos taken of him were compared to real IDs he used.
He claimed he was given free drink and drugs by a gang who then forced him – under threat of violence – to carry out the tests.
The Londoner travelled to the test centre in Fareham twice over the three-month test-taking period in 2023, the court heard.
The court heard the defendant was addicted to drugs at the time of the offences between January and March 2023 and agreed to the deal.
Alongside the two theory tests he took at Fareham DVSA Driving Theory Test Centre on January 10, 2023, and January 25, 2023, Sharief also travelled north.
He took theory tests – a computer-based exam that tests a learner driver’s knowledge of the Highway Code, road rules, and hazard perception skills – at test centres in Crewe, Slough, Uxbridge, and Northampton.
The prosecutor said Sharief used genuine IDs of eight people to take the theory tests.
The court heard there was a “pattern of offending here”.
Sharief admitted eight charges of fraud by false representation.
Mitigating, Katherine Toth said Sharief was threatened with violence if he did not take the tests.
She said: “The defendant became involved with a group of males on the streets who regularly gave him drugs and alcohol without requesting payment.
“One of the males demanded repayment and told the defendant he owed him a significant amount of money.
“Mr Sharief was being threatened with violence and was told to take the theory tests as a means of repayment.”
Ms Toth added: “Mr Sharief never took any money from the group to do this – he did this because of the threats of violence made against him.”
District judge Henry Gordon sent the case to Southampton Crown Court, where Sharief will appear on October 6 to be sentenced.
He was released on bail with the conditions that he does not go to any driving test centres in England or Wales.
