Customers duped by two car dealers into buying written-off cars in West Sussex are to receive some of their money back after a court case.
West Sussex Trading Standards has recovered proceeds of crime from the two dealers, Lucien Munn (54) and Linda Atrell (51), who were jailed two years ago for advertising and selling hundreds of written-off cars via Autotrader and Gumtree in a scam thought to be worth £100,000.
They were also caught falsifying service histories, and describing vehicles as ‘sold as seen’ on invoices to avoid liability under civil legislation for the sale of faulty or mis-described goods.
At a Lewes Crown Court hearing on July 27, a Proceeds of Crime Act resulted in £67,000 being confiscated from Munn. He was also ordered to pay £40,000 costs. Atrell was ordered to pay £1,000.
West Sussex County Council cabinet member for stronger, safer communities, Debbie Kennard, said, “At last victims affected by these cases can receive some money back from the fraud they suffered at the hands of these two con artists. Crime doesn’t pay and we are glad to see the courts reward the persistence of our Trading Standards officers by confiscating this money so consumers can benefit.”
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