Car insurance news
Second-hand car salesman jailed for 12 months
A second-hand car dealer has been jailed for 12 months for selling faulty cars and illegally obtaining £40,000 worth of loans for his clients.
Justin Tidbury, 37, from Thatcham had been dealing in cars from November 2003 and May 2005 and was given a 12 month sentence at Reading Crown Court.
Tidbury wound back the mileometers of the vehicles on his forecourt and on one occasion sold a 55,000-mile Renault Laguna after knocking 32,000 off the mileometer. He also falsely advertised cars on the Auto Trader website with a full service history.
The new owners would have found it difficult to get cheap car insurance after claiming for a car accident that may have happened as a result of the car's age and wear.
The court heard how Tidbury began working as a finance broker after being refused an essential credit licence by the Office of Fair Trading, who considered him to be not "trust-worthy and reliable".
It was revealed that Tidbury had a criminal record with 74 previous offences, including tampering with mileages, theft and drink driving. With such offences, he would have found it difficult to get a cheap motor insurance quote.
Judge Mary-Jane Mowat said, "I take the view that you were completely cavalier and contemptuous of the law that is there to protect customers."
Tidbury admitted giving false or misleading information, illegally running a credit business and giving false trade descriptions.