9:47 am, August 12, 2026
A dodgy car dealer who fled the country after stealing three Mercedes cars and £42,000 from a former friend has been jailed.
Fraudulent trader Paul Westcott fled to Cyprus in 2019 after taking the money and vehicles from ‘long-standing friend’ Michael Hrycko.
The Oxford Mail reports that the defendant – who previously worked for Mercedes-Benz – offered Hrycko three new vehicles in exchange for three part-exchange cars and £42,000 in 2019.
Despite agreeing a delivery date, the cars promised by Westcott never materialised and by the end of the year he had become uncontactable after escaping to Cyprus.
The 56-year-old later claimed the cars had been taken by an aggressive creditor, but a court has now heard this was a lie and that he had actually sold them on.
It comes after Westcott pleaded guilty to stealing the three vehicles and £42,000 from the Hrycko family between October and December 2019.
He also admitted three counts of fraud by false representation relating to a Mercedes C220d, a Range Rover and a Mercedes A180.
Prosecutor Richard Bendall told Oxford Crown Court (pictured) that Hrycko had regarded Westcott as a friend and was left feeling betrayed by what had happened.
Westcott had previously been convicted of similar offences in 2012 and received a suspended prison sentence.
He eventually returned to the UK in 2024 after discovering that he was being investigated by authorities. The court heard he came back within 24 hours of learning about the investigation and was then held in custody for a month.
In court, Westcott’s own legal team admitted his actions were a ‘betrayal of a friendship’ and an ‘unattractive set of facts’.
After hearing all the evidence, judge Hassan Khan sentenced him to 54 months behind bars.
Sentencing him, the judge said: ‘You presented yourself as a reputable car dealer. You exploited this and your long-standing relationship with Mr Hrycko.
‘This was planned and sustained dishonest conduct. The harm caused was significant. This was a serious breach of trust.
‘You established a new life in Cyprus to evade justice here. This is a long-standing pattern of dishonest behaviour.
‘You are a seriously dishonest individual. At no point did you think about compensating the victim. You thought you had got away with it.’