3:08pm Thursday 1st April 2010
By Edmund Tobin
A CAR dealership owner who clocked back high-mileage cars to rack-up large profits has been jailed.
Anthony Banister, 49, of Horseshoe Hill, Upshire, who ran Motor Group, in Goldings Hill, Loughton, bought high mileage cars from Mark Blayney's company Onyx Prestige Cars.
The two criminals then conspired to significantly clock back the mileage on the cars, and sell them to unwitting customers at a large profit.
The cars would be sold on with the disclaimer “mileage can not be guaranteed”.
After complaints from numerous disgruntled Motor Group customers, Trading Standards officers investigated Banister's business checking the official mileage of all his vehicles.
He was prosecuted at Chelmsford Crown Court and after being found guilty following a trial he was sentenced to two years for fraud by false representation and one year for participating in fraudulent business carried on by a sole trader, with the sentences to run consecutively.
Blayney, 49, of The Galleries, Brentwood, was sentenced to two years for fraud by false representation.
Cllr Tracey Chapman, cabinet member with responsibility for community safety and trading standards at Essex County Council said: “I would like to congratulate the officers involved in this operation, their hard work and dedication has paid off with an extremely positive outcome.
“Whilst the vast majority of businesses in Essex abide by the law there are a few traders who are intent on defrauding their customers and we want this case to send out a very strong message to those individuals: we will find out who you are and we will bring you to book.”
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