In possibly the worst ever attempt to take a ‘sickie’ from work, a mobile phone salesman decided to get himself arrested, a court heard yesterday. In a scheme which salesman Sakid Ahmed later admitted was an “absolutely stupid and pathetic plan”, he called the police using a false name and claimed he had seen two Asian men in a green Suzuki car armed with a gun. Armed police who tailed the car for 20 minutes found out that the men in question were Ahmed and his friend Adil Ali. When they searched the car they found no evidence of a gun. Ahmed told Tameside magistrates in Greater Manchester that he came up with the plan because he wanted the day off but did not want to damage his promotion chances through his absence. Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday Gary Logan, prosecuting, told Tameside magistrates: “He provided an explanation saying he didn’t realise what lengths the police would go to stop the vehicle.” The court sentenced Ali to 60 hours’ community service but Ahmed is yet to be sentenced while the court waits for the results of medical tests.
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