Salesman’s cheques to buy cars bounced

A CAR salesman conned “unsuspecting” victims out of thousands of pounds by writing cheques that bounced.

David Comley, 38, was ordered to pay back more than £36,000 to three victims.

Sentencing him at Cardiff Crown Court, Recorder Catherine Richards said: “Dishonouring cheques is a serious matter.”

The court heard the offending occurred over a six-week period at the end of 2016.

Nuhu Gobir, prosecuting, said the defendant bought a Range Rover and another vehicle from the RMM Williams dealership.

He paid by cheque but only had about £500 in his account at the time.

The court heard he then sold the Range Rover to “unsuspecting buyer” Lyndon Millar, who ran a car dealership in Barry.

Mr Gobir said the vehicle passed the necessary checks and Mr Millar sold it on.

He added: “He had no reason to believe it was a stolen vehicle.”

Prosecutors said Comely bought a Vauxhall Astra from Mr Millar and wrote him a cheque for £1,300, which was “dishonoured”.

The court heard he then asked Rosalind Farr to transfer £5,000 into his account, telling her he wanted to buy a car, but never used the money to do so.

Comley was arrested in April 2017 while working as a sales rep at a car dealership in Birmingham.

He accepted buying two cars from RMM Williams and said he was waiting for the money and thought the cheques would clear.

The defendant accepted he owed money to Mr Millar and Ms Farr, stating he still intended to repay them.

Comley, from Broad Street in Birmingham, admitted four counts of fraud.

Owen Williams, defending, said his client had no relevant previous convictions and had already paid back £8,000.

Comley was given a 12-month jail term suspended for two years.

He was ordered to complete seven days of a rehabilitation activity plus 100 hours of unpaid work and must pay £36,550 in compensation.