It was revealed he travelled to Dubai three days earlier.
After over five years on the run, notorious Birmingham fraudster Zahid Khan was arrested in Turkey in November 2023.
He is now in the UK serving lengthy sentences for fraud and human trafficking offences.
Khan also received a further month of imprisonment for fleeing the UK whilst on trial in 2018.
If he had accepted his conviction six years ago, Khan would be coming up for release soon. Instead, he is just starting his sentence which will see him spend the best part of the next half a dozen years behind bars.
Khan lived a life of luxury, spending time with celebrity friends.
In 2018, Birmingham Crown Court heard Khan was the mastermind of a £500,000 number plate scam.
He obtained bogus DVLA documents for expensive personalised number plates, which already belonged to people, to sell them on.
Scottish lottery winner Gillian Bayford was among his targets.
But when Khan conned a Black Country firm who tried to sell the ‘8G’ plate back to her, Ms Bayford informed them it was already attached to a car on her drive.
Khan was also linked to six stolen cars being run on false plates.
Khan delivered his own “erratic” closing speech in the case after sacking one barrister. The replacement ended up resigning over the fraudster’s antics.
Having secured bail and release from custody during the proceedings he failed to show up to court on June 4 of that year.
It was revealed he travelled to Dubai three days earlier.
Khan later ranted on Facebook, addressing Judge Philip Parker KC and claiming the trial had been unfair.
He also tried to influence the jury, telling them to “look at this” as he posted 22 screenshots of unused text message material.
Nevertheless, Khan was found guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud, transferring criminal property and perverting the course of justice.
Khan had also admitted three counts of fraudulently obtaining car insurance and was convicted of a fourth count. In his absence, he was sentenced to 10 years.
Whilst on the run, Khan was guilty of conspiring/assisting in unlawful immigration in a separate case at Canterbury Crown Court.
This was related to five Afghan nationals found in the back of a HGV registered to his company.
Khan, who had been in convoy with the vehicle, was sentenced to a further 30 months consecutive to his previous sentence.
From June 2018, he would have been expected to serve half of his fraud term (five years) in jail before beginning his sentence for the human trafficking offence (one year and three months).
That would have seen him behind bars until September 2024 before being eligible for release.
Instead, it could now be 2030 before he is eligible for release.
Whilst on the run, Khan taunted the authorities on social media.
Prosecutor Ben Isaacs argued the fraudster’s behaviour was “spitting in the face of the court”.
He said: “In the videos he was wearing sunglasses and appears to be living a very comfortable life of luxury in Dubai, essentially rubbing the court’s noses in it and laughing at the administration of justice. It is about as serious as it gets really when it comes to contempt.”
Birmingham Live reported that Khan portrayed himself as a successful businessman, millionaire and pilot who was supposedly the target of “jealous haters”.
And in one brazen stunt in 2017, Khan parked his white Ferrari outside Birmingham Crown Court, only for the police to seize and crush it, believing it was stolen.
Khan subsequently launched a civil case against the police which remains ongoing.
He continues to claim he is innocent and wishes to make another bid to overturn the conviction.
Detective Sergeant Rob Piper, who investigated the original fraud case, said Khan “portrayed the image of a legitimate businessman and a multi-millionaire, but in reality he is a career criminal and a con artist”.
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