12:22 pm, August 13, 2024
A con artist who used a fake name to buy a brand new BMW on finance has narrowly avoided being sent to jail.
Christopher Hudson, 44, used the alias Jeremy Trodwell to purchase a £45,000 BMW 320i M-Sport from a dealership in London, in October 2021.
Within months, the fraudster ceased making arranged monthly payments and failed to respond to approaches from the finance house.
The company finally received a reply in March 2022, in which Hudson dishonestly claimed he had been in hospital with Covid for two months.
He promised to make the outstanding payments but the money never arrived and his agreement was terminated.
At this stage, the authorities made several unsuccessful attempts to recover the vehicle from its registered address in Hampton, Peterborough.
However, it was not until police in Sussex received an ANPR hit for the vehicle – now classified as stolen – at Gatwick airport in August 2022, that they finally caught up with Hudson.
Officers pulled the car over and spoke with the Hudson, who was driving. He claimed the car was registered to Jeremy Trodwell who was his friend and he was unaware whether the payments were up to date.
He also told officers that he did not have any ID on him or proof of insurance. After officers explained that the car would be seized, Hudson, of Sunray Avenue, Bromley admitted to having previously used the false name of Jeremy Trodwell.
Earlier this month (August 2) Hudson attended Huntingdon Law Courts (pictured), where he pleaded guilty to fraud.
He was handed a 15 month jail term, suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.
The UK Courts and Tribunals Service Centre also told Car Dealer that Hudson must pay prosecution costs and a victim surcharge totalling £1,156.
Responding to the sentence, PC Christopher Ogden, who investigated, said: ‘It is quite clear Hudson never had any intention of paying for the vehicle when he took out the finance.
‘He used a different name, a false address and claimed he was seriously ill with Covid, all to avoid making payments.
‘His fraudulent behaviour cost the finance company thousands of pounds and months of hassle. It’s an insult to other law-abiding citizens who live within their means and pay their dues. If you can’t afford a brand new BMW, you can’t have one.
‘I hope this shows how seriously we take these crimes – we will always strive to put offenders before the courts.’
