12:17 pm, March 6, 2019
A CROOKED car dealer has been jailed for seven years after swindling customers out of hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Gwyn Meirion Roberts, 50, ran Menai Vehicle Solutions in Bangor, north Wales, from 2008.
While he contested at Caernarfon Crown Court that the business had been a success and had happy customers, the firm went into voluntary liquidation on October 2, 2015, leaving £1,308,879 of debts in its wake.
Some 50 customers were awaiting delivery of their vehicles at that time, reported the website North Wales Live.
Police welcome jail term for Bangor car dealer after “time consuming and complex” fraud case at Caernarfon courthttps://t.co/v0boe9CyfK
— NorthWalesChronicle (@NorthWalesChron) March 5, 2019
Roberts, of Dolgoed, Llandudno Junction, was found guilty of 22 counts of fraud and one of fraudulent trading.
Over the course of a three-week trial, the jury heard that Roberts defrauded customers to ‘prop up his failing business’, setting up deals that were ‘too good to be true’ to secure money from them.
Judge Huw Rees said of Roberts’ treatment of his customers: ‘You dealt with them in a shockingly dishonest and underhand way.’
Det Sgt Christopher Hargrave of North Wales Police said after the case: ‘Over 50 members of the public lost large amounts of money when they placed their trust in Gwyn Roberts to deliver the deals he promised them.
‘He knew at the time of making those promises that there was a significant risk to the victims’ money.
‘His continued trading, even though the business had failed, was only an attempt to maintain his pride and his lifestyle.’
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