The case came to court after Service Underwriting referred suspicions about whiplash claims from 30 people who had been travelling by coach to Belle Vue dog track in Manchester, in December 2011, to the City of London Police's Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED), triggering a criminal investigation.
The driver of the coach had told the insurer he was made to pull over on a roundabout at a junction of the M57 by passengers who said the coach had been hit from behind by a Renault Megane, even though he had felt no impact.
He reported that there was only very superficial damage to both vehicles, but that the passengers decided to cancel their trip saying they felt unwell and asked to be taken back to The Mons pub in Bootle where they had been picked up.
He said that before leaving the coach the entire group stated that they had been injured and gave him their details. He then watched as they ran across a dual carriageway and into the pub.
The insurer later established through a social networking site that Gray, Carberry and Hamilton all knew each other and had been to Everton football matches together.
IFED detectives travelled to Liverpool twice in 2012, arresting Gray and Carberry in June and Hamilton and Joe Hindley a month later.
They had found Gray hiding in a bathroom in Carberry's flat and at Gray's flat they seized Hamilton's driving licence and documents relating to the Renault.
Their investigation established that prior to the collision Gray had bought the Renault, along with insurance for Hamilton, and that Carberry had arranged and paid for the coach, as well as the group booking for the dog track.
They also identified that Hamilton had driven the Renault at very low speed into the back of the coach and that Carberry was Gray's contacts on the coach.
In November Gray was charged with two counts of conspiracy to defraud, while Carberry, Hamilton and Hindley were each charged with one count.
Gray, aged 26, of First Avenue in Fazakerley, was yesterday (Monday 19 August 2013) remanded in custody to appear at Southwark Crown Court at a later date.
Carberry, aged 20, of Old Hall Street in Liverpool city centre, and Hamilton, aged 35, of Asser Road in West Derby, will also be sentenced at the court at a later date.
