Harsikander Dhillon, 34, was spared jail time after pleading guilty to eight counts of engaging in misleading commercial practice at Leicester Crown Court. The Indian-origin salesman refunded thousands of pounds to people he conned into buying faulty second-hand cars.
Court recorder Timothy Walker handed Dhillon and his sales agent, Barry Porter, suspended jail sentences on Monday, the 'Leicester Mercury' reported. Dhillon was handed an eight-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work in the community.
"You were acting with a disregard for your customers that was quite astounding. You were greedy. It must have become apparent you were acting unlawfully, but it better suited you to continue to act unlawfully. It plainly crosses the custody threshold," Walker told Dhillon and Porter.
Porter was given a six-month sentence, suspended for 14 months, as well as 160 hours of unpaid work. The court was told that he had deposited 24,550 pounds in a bank account to refund all eight customers, and the duo had agreed to pay 15,000 pounds in court costs.
Dhillon, director of Granth Cars in Belgrave area of Leicester, was investigated by the UK's trading standards after 11 complaints were made within six months of them going into business together in May 2015. He was responsible for buying eight defective cars and selling them on for sometimes thousands of pounds more than they were worth.
Cameron Crowe, representing Dhillon, told the newspaper that his client had "relied on the expertise of others who were supposed experts and he ultimately failed to take the necessary steps to rectify further verification".