A principal organiser of staged car accidents in Co Cork which cost insurance companies €200,000 was jailed for two years yesterday.

A former insurance consultant put his knowledge of the industry into organising six fake car accidents, and one time was seen directing a rogue driver to reverse and drive into the car ahead a second time to cause more damage.

Staging insurance scam accidents is not a victimless crime, a sentencing judge declared yesterday, as he said such actions could cloud the making of valid claims and cause a premium rise for legitimate motorists.