A car dealer has been jailed after selling 'deathtrap' vehicles to unwitting customers.
Mohammed Sajad defrauded 11 people misrepresenting so-called 'stunning' motors on eBay, Gumtree, Auto Trader, and Facebook which he provided with forged documents. One victim of his scheme was a man who bought a Ford Ka which was advertised as 'an excellent example', 'exemplary', and 'truly well-loved'.
However, when he drove the newly-purchased car back home to Lancashire, the man could smell petrol and noticed a wet stain underneath it. After inspecting it, he discovered the petrol tank was rusty and corroded, Birmingham Live reports.
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It was found that many of Sajad's cars which he sold were dangerous and unroadworthy. The Ka customer said he was lucky to be alive after travelling in the car which could have blown up at any moment.
Sajad managed to scam more than £58,000 from buyers, however, it was estimated the true figure was above £100,000 due to repair costs that came with the vehicles. Sajad, of Vibart Road, Yardley, Birmingham, admitted conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime and entering into a money laundering arrangement.
A hearing at Birmingham Crown Court on Wednesday, June 28, saw Sajad sentenced to two years and 11 months. Mark Jackson, prosecuting on behalf of Birmingham City Council, said: "The case relates to the defendant's involvement in a dishonest scheme advertising and selling motor vehicles, many of them unroadworthy and dangerous.
"The defendant and, it is alleged, his co-accused sold dozens and dozens of vehicles using false business names, identities/forged documents including false service histories. In the main, sales were made online and via telephone. Over and over again the defendant made dishonest and misleading representations with victims being given false, misleading, and wholly dishonest information."
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One woman from Sheffield was conned out of £2,900 for a Mini Cooper advertised on Auto Trader in May 2018. After purchasing the car, she found it kept losing power - after taking it to the garage she was told it needed a new clutch and turbo for more than £3,000.
Another customer in 2019 bought a Toyota Avensis which was supposed to have a full service history and 12 months of MoT. However, he later found via an online check that it was categorised as 'S' due to structural damage as a result of a crash.
A further customer paid nearly £5,000 for a Land Rovery Discovery which was described by her local mechanic as a 'deathtrap'. Another paid £11,000 for a Mercedes put on Facebook Marketplace only to find it was 'filthy', with damaged alloy wheels, tryes below the legal tread depth, paint scratches as well as used tissues and water bottles inside. One couple were duped into buying a 'stunning Volvo Estate' with poor brakes among other faults.
The prosecutor described how nearly 360 cars were delivered to Sajad's VIbart Road address from a single auction house between October 2019 and June 2021. Sunit Sandhu, defending, emphasised Sajad's age and 'immaturity' against the fact other 'adults' were allegedly involved.
He argued his client had 'genuine regret and remorse' and he was ready to face the consequences despite Eid al-Adha starting on the day of the hearing. Mr Sandhu added there had been a 'marked change' in Sajad who had since gained a full-time job and got married with his wife expecting their first child.
Judge Tom Rochford said 'deceit was a core part for this business' and concluded only imprisonment could be justified. He said the 11 victims were likely the 'tip of the iceberg' adding it was unrealistic other vehicles were not sold in a similar way given the scale of Sajad's activities. The judge also imposed a ten-year Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) restricting the defendant's handling of cars in the future.
