article: These dramatic images show the moment an Audi pulled out of a road and deliberately crashed into the side of a bus as part of a £1million 'crash for cash' scam. The elaborate fraud involved cars and vans being driven into the side of First Group buses so passengers - who were mainly friends and relatives complicit in the scam - could falsely claim from insurers. The crashes took place between October 2010 and January 2012 and earned ringleader John Smith 45, from Connah's Quay, North Wales, £159,000. As the pictures show, all the collisions followed similar scenarios in which a car would collide with the side of a bus, causing both minimal impact and damage. In each case, the driver of the car would admit full liability, allowing all of the passengers from the bus to submit personal injury claims. Scroll down for video . The blue Audi pulls out from Whitchurch road, in Chester and accelerates into the side of the bus . It then collides into the bus as part of the £1million 'crash for cash' scam that took place over three years . The elaborate fraud allowed passengers on the bus, who were mainly friends and relatives complicit in the scam, to falsely claim from insurers . Smith, the managing director of Swift Accident Solutions, stage-managed the crashes around the Chester area over the three-year period, in a bid to create new claimants for his business. He then personally processed 218 personal injury claims - which totalled more than £1million - to no win no fee lawyers. All of the bogus claims submitted by the Smith's company were for whiplash and 'soft tissue injuries,' meaning they could not be verified by the insurance companies. Instead, insurers were forced to rely on the individual claimants and usually settled out of court. John Smith (right), 45, from Connah's Quay, North Wales is facing jail after stage-managing several collisions in a £1m 'crash for cash' fraud; Luke McQuillan (left) was found guilty of of conspiracy to commit fraud . Police uncovered Smith's plot after being alerted by First Direct insurance to the unusually high volume of claims. They also found more than 90 per cent of the claimants involved in the collisions were linked to one another. The majority were friends or relatives of the 12 defendants, the court was told. The court heard how Smith had introduced 177 new claimants to a lawyer for which he received £960 each time. Investigators later found that the bogus claims accounted for more than 75 per cent of the total gross income at Swift Accident Solutions during the period. Smith was convicted yesterday at Manchester Crown Court Smith of fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud, following a 41-day trial. Nine other defendants, who police said played a major role in organising the collisions, were all found guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud. Four more people had already pleaded guilty to the charge, while two defendants were found not guilty. Police believe more arrests will still be made over the scam. During the trial, the court was told how Smith masterminded the scam by finding drivers who were willing to carry out a fake crash. More than 90 per cent of the claimants involved in the collisions were linked to one another and were mainly said to be friends and relatives of the 12 defendants. Pictured: Richard Flynn (left) and Barry Cooper (right) were both found guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud following the 41-day trial at Manchester Crown Court . The drivers would then pull out at low speed, using vehicles provided by Smith, and collide with the buses. The single and double decker buses had been chosen out of 'greed' because of the sheer number of claims that could be lodged, the court was told. Bus driver John Griffths told the court how he was caught up in one of the accidents while driving a park and ride bus towards Chester in June 2011. He told how he broke gently when he saw the Rover car pulling out of the side road, in a bid to prevent his standing passengers from being flung along the aisle. He added: 'I couldn't brake harshly because I had standing passengers, if I'd have done that they would have gone forward, so I had to go gently. The driver of the car said it was his fault, that his foot slipped off the brake on to the accelerator.' But he said one woman quickly reported that she 'wasn't feeling well'. He was also approached by three men, one of whom claimed he had hurt his leg on the bus steps, despite having no visible sign of injury. Nine other defendants, who police said played a major role in organising the collisions, were all found guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud including Dean Brown, 42, (left) and Barry Cooper, 35 (right) When an ambulance was called to the scene, treatment was declined, he added. A passenger who was on the bus with his wife also told how he saw the Rover driver, at a side junction, actually looking at the bus just before to the collision. Although there was a 'minimal jolt', a fellow passenger was overheard exclaiming 'oh my back', he said. Smith was also accused of making a false representation by not declaring two outstanding county court judgments when applying for a licence to operate his claims management business. After the case Detective Inspector Simon Lonsdale from Chester CID said the force would continue to investigate the case. He said: 'This was an extremely complex investigation spanning nearly three years and involving a large number of defendants. 'It has been a challenging process for all officers involved and has required considerable professional skills in relation to the investigation and the subsequent prosecution. 'As part of our investigation conducted a significant number of interviews, to gather the required evidence to prove that Smith and his associates had stage these collisions for the sole purpose of financial gain. 'The crime that they committed was not a victimless crime, had all of the false claims created by Smith and his associates been successful we believe that the total cost would have been over £1 million, which would have been paid for by law abiding citizens through their car insurance policies.' Det Con Stephen Owens added: 'The Police have a duty to protect life, and although these collisions were all minor, they could have been much more serious. 'Yet despite the fact all of the collisions were minor, with minimal damage to both vehicles, they all resulted in multiple claims for personal injury claims, with the vast majority of these claims submitted via Smiths company. The trial at Manchester Crown Court (pictured) heard how the elaborate fraud involved cars and vans being deliberately driven into the side of buses so 'injured' passengers - who were mainly friends and relatives in on the scam - could falsely claim from insurers . 'Through our investigations and the evidence we have gathered, we have been able to identify a "passenger Network" which shows that a large proportion of the claimants can be linked to each other. This network proves that over 90 per cent of the claimants involved in the collisions are linked to each other. 'Although the trial against these defendants has now concluded, we will continue to investigate this case and further arrests are likely.' Other defendants found guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud were: Charlotte Watts, 28, from Wrexham; Daniel Shaw, 27, from Blacon, Chester; Dean Brown, 42, from Chester; Luke McQuillan, 40, from Blacon; Michael Gentile, 45, from Chester; Sean Kettyle, 43, from Ellesmere Port; Richard Flynn, 48, from Connah’s Quay; Andrew Shaw, 57, from Rodsham and Barry Cooper, 35, from Connah’s Quay. Cooper was found not guilty on one count of conspiracy. The following defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud before the trial: Howard Christopher Taylor, 36, of Seaforth; Christopher John Bethell, 30, of Eastham; Rachel Cooper, 32, of Great Sutton and Jason Power of Chester. David Clancy, 36, from Connah’s Quay and Jamie Stokes, 22, from Mold, were found not guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud.
highlights: 'Crash for cash' fraud involved cars being deliberately driven into buses .
  Passengers - most of whom were friends and relatives - would then claim .
  John Smith, 45, from Connah's Quay, orchestrated crashes in Chester area .
  He processed 218 bogus personal injury claims to no win no fee lawyers .
  Convicted yesterday of fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud after trial .
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