A car salesman who fraudulently sold vehicles, often failing to disclose to customers that they had been involved in collisions, has been found guilty and sentenced to 32 months in prison.
Samuel Smith, 34, of North Road, North Muskham was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud following a trial at Nottingham Crown Court and an investigation by Nottinghamshire County Council’s Trading Standards team.
Smith was also ordered to pay £23,614 in compensation in addition to his custodial sentence.
The court heard that as part of his businesses Your Car Now, Your Car Supermarket, SC Motor Group and Your Car Centre, Smith repeatedly sold vehicles to customers which were not as advertised, between June 2018 and September 2020.
In some cases, victims would purchase vehicles only to find on their journeys home that they would break down or need significant sums spending on them to repair them.
Smith also falsely represented that vehicles were sold with RAC breakdown cover and in one case, falsely represented that a car was registered in the UK when it was not.
It was often only when customers took vehicles to garages not affiliated with Smith and his businesses that they realised the true extent of the misrepresentation.
A number of victims were told by mechanics that the vehicles they had purchased has faults that would cost thousands of pounds to repair, and they were in fact Category D ‘write off’ cars.
In one worrying case, when the faulty vehicle was taken to an independent garage it was discovered that one of the vehicle’s airbags had been disconnected, meaning that if it had been involved in a collision it would not have inflated.
The court heard that Smith used the money from the sales of the faulty cars to fund a lavish lifestyle, including overseas holidays to Dubai and Monaco, luxury cars including a Ferrari, and the maintenance of his property.
Scott Carlton, cabinet member for communities and public health at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “I would like to thank all the victims who came forward and worked with our investigators to help bring this case to trial. The verdict in this case sends a strong message that rogue traders and fraudulent sales practices will not be tolerated in Nottinghamshire. Our Trading Standards Service will continue to pursue fraudsters to ensure that they face justice.
“If you or someone you know has fallen victim to a rogue trader, we would urge you to report it. If you suspect that rogue traders are operating in your area, please contact Trading Standards on 0808 223 1133.”
