A car wash worker crashed a customer's classic Mercedes he had dropped off for a valet after he took it for a 60-mile drive, later saying he swerved to avoid a MOUSE, a court heard. Owner Kevin Murphy, 77, described the rare and pristine 1992 550E Merc as 'a cherished and prized possession'.
Omid Abas, 41, was assigned to give the vehicle a £30 'super valet' but instead, the court heard he took it for a 90-minute spin from the car wash in Runcorn to his home in Stockport and back again, crashing it just five miles short of his return.
In subsequent police interviews Abas, of Colborne Avenue, Reddish, claimed the crash happened when he swerved to avoid a mouse in the road, a prosecutor said. The court heard thousands of pounds worth of 'significant' damage was caused to the car.
