10:55 am, November 14, 2024
A couple from Birmingham have appeared in court accused of selling ‘deathtrap’ second-hand cars.
Sajad Hamid, 46, and Aisah Rashid, 37, are standing trial at Birmingham Crown Court, accused of running a ‘dishonest scheme’ from their home.
A jury was told that they advertised cars as ‘stunning’ on the likes of Facebook Marketplace, eBay and Gumtree, when in reality they were ‘dangerous and unroadworthy’.
It was further alleged they used fake names, businesses and addresses as well as supplied counterfeit documents such as service histories with forged stamps, according to The Birmingham Mail.
The court heard that when customers complained, their claims and requests for refunds were rejected or ignored, while some were told ‘tough luck’ and ‘oh well’.
Hamid and Rashid, of Vibart Road, Yardley, deny charges of conspiracy to defraud and two counts of money laundering.
Prosecutors told the jury that their son, Mohammed Sajad, was also involved in the scheme and has previously pled guilty to the offences.
Mark Jackson, prosecuting for Birmingham City Council, said: ‘Between at least the 1st of May 2018 and the 30th of January 2021 a dishonest scheme was being run out of a residential property at Vibart Road in the Yardley area of Birmingham.
‘That property, owned by Sajad Hamid, was the family’s home address so both defendants and Mohammed Sajad lived there. The dishonest scheme was a criminal operation concerned with advertising and selling second-hand motor vehicles, many of which were unroadworthy and dangerous, with literally dozens and dozens of second-hand vehicles being sold using false business names, identities and fake or forged documents including false service histories and, in some cases, clocked odometer.
‘With advertisements being placed online, in the main, prospective customers’ or victims’ initial contact was made via email, or via the telephone. Advertisements made false representations about a vehicle, and when a victim made contact to ask further questions and or to arrange a viewing, or a sale, over and over again they were given wholly dishonest and misleading information about the vehicle that had been advertised and that they were enquiring about.’
Jackson stated that the seller often used the name ‘Adam’ as well as business names Yew Tree Cars, Sam Harrison Cars, James Harrison Cars and Lee Hudson Cars.
Jackson summarised the accounts of 11 different people, or couples, who purchased vehicles from the defendants, including that of one man who bought a Ford Ka for £900 from ‘James Harrison Cars’, advertised as being ‘maintained to a very high standard’ with the bodywork and interior being in ‘excellent’ condition.
After driving it back to Lancashire he took it to a garage upon noticing the petrol tank looked rusty and corroded. Jackson said: ‘In short, he was told he was lucky to be alive given he had driven the car from Birmingham and that the car could have blown up at any time. He was told the car was too dangerous to drive – he walked home.’
Other cases mentioned in court included a Land Rover Discovery with extensive chassis corrosion. When the woman messaged ‘James Harrison’ to complain she was told ‘oh well’, and that the car was ‘sold as seen’, the court heard.
Jackson said another customer bought a £3,150 Volvo with numerous faults, including central locking which didn’t work, but when he complained he was told to ‘fix it yourself’.
The prosocuter told the court that Hamid will claim he was offering support to his car dealer son Mohammed, but had nothing to do with the purchase and sale of cars. Likewise, he stated Rashid’s case is that she was a ‘stay-at-home’ mum who looked after the family and let her son use her bank account because of problems with his own.
Jackson added: ‘All of them were involved in what was a wholly dishonest conspiracy to defraud customers and to launder the proceeds of their criminal activity.’
Pictured: Birmingham Crown Court, via PA Images
