Garage owner fined after mileage tampering

The owner of a car garage has been ordered to pay out thousands of pounds after being found guilty of selling a van with a tampered mileage.

Mark Bettis of Bearwood Garage Van Sales Ltd in Smethwick was found guilty after a trial at Warley Magistrates Court yesterday.

The court heard the 49-year-old sold a Citroen Desptach van to trained mechanic Neil Lampard, who said the mileage was around 80,000 when he bought it.

But when the van was delivered to his home in Evesham, the paperwork stated it had 133,276 miles on the clock.

The garage and Bettis himself faced two charges of engaging in a commercial practice which was misleading. Bettis, of Chadwick Grange, Bromsgrove, denied all charges.

Sandwell Council prosecutor Mark Jackson said Mr Lampard came across the van on the Auto Trader website and was planning to use it to start his own mobile mechanic business.

He said Mr Lampard bought the van for £2,495 on March 13 last year after taking it for a test drive and seeing there were around 80,000 miles on the clock.

But when it was delivered, the van's paperwork stated it had done more than 133,000 miles, the court heard.

Magistrates fined Bettis £3,000, ordered him to pay costs of £5,945, compensation of £885 and £30 in victim surcharges.

Mr David Swinnerton, defending, said the defendant had not tampered with the mileage himself.

Mr Bettis told the Express & Star he was now considering appealing the verdict.