Dodgy car dealer escapes jail term

A DODGY car dealer from Bracknell who treated customers 'disgracefully’ narrowly escaped jail at his sentencing last Friday.

David Lilley, 71, was sentenced to 42 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, at Reading Crown Court last Friday in a case brought by the trading standards team at Bracknell Forest Council.

Customers at Chelsea Harbour International Cars, based in Bagshot Road, were sworn at and intimidated by Lilley, the owner, when they asked for refunds for vehicles sold to them with faulty engines or without valid MoT certificates.

Lilley pleaded guilty to 12 offences under the Consumer Protection From Unfair Trading Regulations at an earlier hearing on June 3.

Prosecuting on behalf of the council, Lee Reynolds told the court how customer Kirk Williams, a serving army amputee, was sworn at by Lilley.

After asking for his money back for a car, Mr Williams was told 'Go into my office and I’ll get some guys to f*** you up’ and 'I don’t care if you are a f****** cripple’.

Mr Williams and two other victims were so intimidated by Lilley that they called the police.

Speaking after the sentencing Mr Williams said: “He just started swearing, it was so out of the blue I thought he might have had a stroke or something.

“Luckily I’m quite a big guy so I was okay, but if it had been an older guy or someone more vulnerable I’m not sure how they would have dealt with it.” Six more victims reported Lilley to trading standards for abusive and misleading behaviour.

However, none will receive compensation from Lilley who is living on £230-a-week after being declared bankrupt in March 2013.

Matthew Rowcliffe, defending Lilley, stressed that the offences were the first to be brought against Lilley in his 50 years in the car trade industry and how he had been going through significant financial difficulties at the time.

He also stated Lilley had struggled to deal with the death of his sister following a terminal illness.

Passing his sentence, Judge Paul Dugdale said Lilley was lucky not to be going straight to Bullingdon Prison as he had treated customers disgracefully.

He said: “The reason these offences are taken so seriously is because trade is what makes our country run. You treated your customers as though they were dirt.” Lilley will have to wear an electronic tag for three months and must be at home in Pickerings between 8pm and 7am every day.