Bristol man jailed for fraudulent car sales in Torfaen
Evan Beman from Lockleaze admitted selling cars without disclosing they were insurance write offs
Last updated 9th May 2024
A Bristol man has been sentenced to three years in jail after admitting selling nearly 300 damaged cars to unsuspecting customers.
Evan Beman (47), from Gainsborough Square in Lockleaze set up face Facebook profiles to sell the vehicles without sharing that they had been written off by insurance companies.
He also used false names to register the vehicles with the DVLA, in a fraud estimated to be worth up to £165,000.
He pleaded guilty to charges under the Fraud Act during a hearing at Cardiff Crown Court.
Councillor Mandy Owen, Executive Member for the Environment at Torfaen Council, said: "While the sale of accident-damaged vehicles is not illegal, selling them without disclosing the history is against the law and can be dangerous for motorists and other road users.
"The advice when looking for a second-hand car is to ask questions about the vehicle and check its MOT history. Customers can also carry out a Hire Purchase Investigation check for online.”
The case against Beman began in June 2021 when a 17-year-old contacted Torfaen Council's Trading Standards team having bought a Vauxhall Corsa via a Facebook seller in Cwmbran, which broke down just 15 minutes after they bought it.
They were left with a repair bill of more than £1,300 and when they complained, they were told the vehicle had been sold as seen and they were not entitled to a refund.
An investigation later found the car had previously been involved in an accident and was a Category C write off.
Cardiff Crown Court heard Trading Standards officers discovered Beman and a business partner had purchased 292 vehicles through a registered salvage vehicle company via a third-party account, between February 1, 2021, and September 16, 2022.
Several other customers of theirs were contacted, who said they were not aware they had bought accident damaged vehicles.
If you think you have been a victim of something similar, you can report it via this link.