Dealer convicted of advertising unroadworthy cars for sale

Salesman slammed with £1,000 fine for each allegation plus £5,600 costs and a £100 victim surcharge

Dealer convicted of advertising unroadworthy cars for sale
Four cars at Swindon Trade Centre were found to be unroadworthy in an undercover sting. Image credit: Bigstock.

A Swindon car dealer has been ordered to pay a total of £9,700 after he was found guilty of advertising unroadworthy cars for sale.

Michael Barbato, who owned Swindon Trade Centre, had denied four allegations when he appeared before magistrates.

A trading standards operation revealed an Alpha Romeo with a split tyre all the way round, a Renault Megan with excessive movement on the nearside front suspension, a Suzuki Wagon with a badly corroded front brake pipe and a Ford Mondeo with an illegal tyre.

Chairman of the magistrates Gail Chilcott said: “I find it remarkable that a responsible business would allow customers to browse the premises without fully trained staff or systems in place to differentiate between cars that have an MOT and those that do not.

“I can see that cars in an unroadworthy condition were found on the forecourt.

“For each of the four charges you will pay £1000 which is a total of £4000.

“You will pay a victim surcharge of £100 and court costs of £5,600 making a total of £9,700.”

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