Police ‘frustrated’ after sentence in suspected √Ǭ£1m fraud

√جª¬øCar salesmen walk free from court after admitting suspected £1m finance fraud at Acklam Car Centre

The Northern Echo today reported that investigating police officers were ‘frustrated’ following the non custodial sentence imposed at Middlesborough Crown Court yesterday in a credit fraud where the salesmen assisted customers to obtain over £500k in fraudulent loans for cars from Aklam Car Centre.

The salesmen, represented by  fraud barrister Jeremy Barnett, helped customers to obtain loans for cars when false details were supplied in relation to mileage of cars sold in part exchange and also the age and value of the vehicles. It was important however, that non of the customers had defaulted on their loans, so the Judge dealt with all of the Defendants on the basis that there was no loss to the finance companies.

The Judge also accepted that the ‘systemic failures’ had been rectified by the company who had taken corrective action to the satisfaction of their finance companies and that the salesmen were now performing better by following proper procedures. The Judge took into account the early pleas of guilty, the fact that the salesmen were of good character and hard working and decided that a sentence of unpaid work would be in the public interest, rather than a sentence of immediate custody.

DC Graham told the paper that it was ‘frustrating’ that the garage is still trading with some of the salesmen. 

Originally posted 2013-12-22 00:00:00.