8:57 am, March 17, 2025
The bosses of a failed used car dealership in Cheshire have denied running a £1m fraud scheme which conned customers out of cash.
Car Dealer reported earlier this year that Richard Gleave, Rachel Gleave and Mark East had all been charged with fraudulent trading in relation to the running of VIP Car Sales in Runcorn.
The luxury car business collapsed after being served with a winding up petition back in 2017, before police launched an investigation a short time later amid claims that dozens of customers had lost thousands of pounds.
Now, seven years on, the trio have appeared at Liverpool Crown Court where they denied carrying on a business for fraudulent purposes.
The court heard that the the husband and wife Gleaves, of Flannog Lane, St Martins, were business partners in VIP Car Sales.
Meanwhile, East, of Canal Street, Congleton, was employed as sales manager.
The business operated a sale or return model for private sellers but the three co-defendants are said to have kept clients’ money after selling the cars on their behalf.
They also stand accused of selling cars in the knowledge that they had outstanding finance on them and agreeing finance on cars they didn’t own, the Knutsford Guardian reports.
In order to get away with the deceit, the court heard that the company also submitted false documents to car loan companies.
The charges relate to 65 vehicles and 41 alleged victims, with Mr Gleave also denying an additional charge of theft of a motor vehicle, worth £43,500. Overall, the trio are said to have carried out fraud valued at an eye-watering £1.1m.
After pleading not guilty to all charges, the trio were released on unconditional bail.
A 12-week trial is expected to get underway on September 29.
