A car mechanic, Jamie Leigh Wright, 41, from Falmouth, has been convicted of fraud after allegedly charging a trader £3,594 for a new engine that was never fitted. The victim’s van was subsequently abandoned in an Asda Penryn car park, impounded by Cornwall Council, and later auctioned, leaving the owner in debt.
Wright had pleaded not guilty to fraud by false representation but failed to appear at his trial at Truro Magistrates’ Court on Thursday afternoon, citing illness. However, an enforcement officer reportedly found him landscaping his garden, and the trial proceeded in his absence.
The prosecution, brought by Cornwall Trading Standards, followed a complaint from the victim, Matthew England. Mr England, a curtains and blind fitter, stated he had previously used Wright for work. He contacted Wright in July last year after his VW van broke down, facing a high cost for engine replacement from a dealership. Wright quoted £3,594 for a new engine and an additional £500 for labour, requiring upfront payment for the engine.
Mr England paid Wright, but the work was reportedly never completed. Wright provided various excuses over several months, including claims of serious illness. Mr England, who uses the van for his business, experienced customer dissatisfaction and stress, eventually resorting to antidepressant medication.
After repeated attempts to contact Wright, Mr England found his van missing from Wright’s driveway in November. It was later discovered that Wright had abandoned the van in the Asda staff car park. Store staff reported the vehicle as abandoned, leading to its impoundment by Cornwall Council. Due to fees, Mr England could not retrieve the van, and it was eventually auctioned.
The court heard that Wright had previously faced similar charges in October of the previous year.
Source: Falmouth Packet
anthony roe
I think it is time to have our industry regulated. It is parasites like him that give our automotive trade a bad name.
It will then sort out the chancers that cannot even fix a car, and this will allow the trade to charge a fair rate for our professionalism, as we are the lowest paid trade when it comes to a professional tradesman, the amount of tools that independents need to carry out our work compared to a carpenter, plumber, etc
You just cannot compare the cost; something needs to be done to keep these parasites out of the trade who get up out of bed one day and say I am a professional mechanic how can that be right