A dishonest second-hand car salesman pretended he was a private seller to con customers out of their cash, a court has heard.
Shamus Dewaine even told one buyer the car she was purchasing had belonged to his brother and been used by his mother - but in reality he had bought the vehicle for scrap just a few days before selling it on. Other vehicles flogged by the father-of-six were in an unroadworthy or even dangerous condition.
A judge branded Dewaine "a cheat and a fraudster" who had used "all the tricks of a rogue and dishonest trader" to cheat people out of their money. The court heard it had cost the local council £15,000 to investigate and prosecute the defendant for his dodgy and dangerous dealings, but that he was not in a position to repay the costs as he was out of work.
