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Year in Review: The biggest car dealer court stories of 2024

  • Car Dealer’s Jack Williams takes a look back at the motor trade’s best court stories from 2024

Time 6:45 am, December 27, 2024

Here at Car Dealer we like to try and keep you up to date with all of the latest news from across the automotive industry and stories from the court system provide a huge part of our coverage.

2024 has brought with it another swathe of rogues and reprobates whose dodgy deals and underhand tactics always catch up with them in the end.

There have also been some cases which could impact the state of the motor trade for years to come but which stories have been best this year?


To find out, Car Dealer has selected our 10 top court stories from the past 12 months. It has been quite the year for the motor trade so, in no particular order, here is what we picked out…

Used car dealer jailed for selling ‘dangerous’ Toyota which was ‘rotten to its core’

Rogue car dealer, Alan Lewis, was jailed for six months for selling a dangerously corroded Toyota Yaris to a buyer who unknowingly drove it for months. Despite ‘determined attempts to conceal the dangerous aspects’, the car was deemed unroadworthy, prompting a Trading Standards investigation. Lewis, who a judge said showed ‘not a shred of remorse’ was ordered to pay £2,000 compensation for his reckless actions.

Jack says: I was in court to see Lewis being sentenced and his attitude is what stuck with me more than anything. The state of the car was shocking – it could have done that poor victim serious damage – but almost as bad was how the defendant treated proceedings. At one point he tried to blame his offending on the EU, telling a probation officer that he ‘wasn’t going to bow down to European laws’ created by people who ‘don’t have our country’s best interests at heart’. Quite what Ursula von der Leyen had to do with him selling a death trap in West Wales, we never did find out, but the judge certainly saw right though Lewis’s arguments.


Tribunal rules in favour of used car dealer who ran into boss on unauthorised holiday

Gary Maloney won €12,500 (£10,660) for wrongful dismissal after being sacked by Bill Griffin Motors. The used car dealer took an unauthorised holiday, running into a boss in a Portuguese bar. A tribunal ruled his dismissal lacked due process, despite claims he left the dealership ‘in the lurch’. The firm maintained he resigned voluntarily, but the Workplace Relations Commission disagreed.

Jack says: Okay, so this one came from an employment tribunal rather than a court of law, but I absolutely loved this story! How unlucky can you get? Going on an unauthorised holiday may well have been enough to cost Gary Maloney his job on its own but can you imagine how far his stomach must have dropped when he walked into that bar and saw his boss sat there with his entire family? On the face of it, arguing for unfair dismissal seemed like something of a ballsy move but he ended up winning the case. The tribunal found a lack of  ‘investigation or disciplinary process’  and Maloney ended up with a cool £10,000 to go with his holiday.

Used car supermarket founder Peter Waddell accused of ‘bullying’ and ‘intimidation’ as High Court ponders case

Former Big Motoring World boss Peter Waddell was in the High Court in May, seeking an interim injunction to restore his voting and information rights after being removed as director earlier in the year. Freshstream, the company’s investors, alleged misconduct, including abusive behaviour, threats, and erratic actions. Waddell denied the claims, arguing that the investigation against him had been ‘unfair’. Mediator Murray Rosen KC eventually ruled against him and refused to grant the injunction. A full trial could now take place next year or in early 2026.

Woman who stole vehicle keys so thieves could target used car dealership walks free from court

Natalie Ferre, 50, avoided jail after stealing car keys from Stratus Cars in Hampshire as part of a scheme to steal two vehicles. The Peugeot was recovered, but the VW had not been found at the time of the hearing. Already under a suspended sentence for another car theft, Ferre blamed her actions on a mental breakdown. She received a 12-month conditional discharge in court.

Thief who ‘grinned’ at used car dealer during vehicle theft is handed lengthy prison term

Martin McDonagh grinned as he stole a VW Golf from a Warwickshire car dealer but was later jailed for 12 years. After fleeing, he attempted a burglary before crashing the car days later. Convicted of multiple thefts and burglaries, police said his victims ‘had the last laugh’ as McDonagh faced a lengthy prison sentence.

Jack says: Clearly, the theft of a car from a second-hand car showroom in Binley Woods, Warwickshire, was not the only offence McDonagh was jailed for but it does show that some police forces are treating this sort of crime seriously. It must have been absolutely awful and humiliating for those sales staff to see that grinning face looking at them as he drove away but I think DC Chris Stowe from Warwickshire Police, summed it up best when he said: ‘McDonagh might have been grinning as he drove away, but it was police and his victims who have had the last laugh’.

Jury finds that Big Motoring World sales executive DID kill colleague in horror 100mph crash with lorry

A jury found that 24-year-old Ivan Zailac killed his Big Motoring World colleague, Stephanie Nye-Diroyan, in a horrific crash in Enfield, London, in October 2022. Zailac was driving his BMW 340D at nearly 100mph, over double the speed limit, when he lost control and collided head-on with a 26-tonne truck. Nye-Diroyan, a finance administrator, died at the scene. Zailac, who suffered from amnesia after the crash, was found guilty of causing her death by dangerous driving. Sentencing is scheduled for January 22.

Close Brothers stops underwriting new dealer finance after landmark court ruling

Back in October, Close Brothers paused underwriting new UK motor finance business following a landmark Court of Appeal ruling. The decision, which has sparked chaos in the sector ever since, ruled that brokers must obtain customers’ fully informed consent before receiving commission from lenders, asserting that dealers owe a fiduciary duty to their customers. Close Brothers disagreed with the judgment and plans to appeal to the UK Supreme Court.


Jack says: Where do I even start on this one? Without doubt the most significant court story – and maybe even news story – for the motor trade in 2024. This was the straw that broke the camel’s back and really sparked mass chaos in the motor finance sector. While the industry has bounced back the best it can from the initial shock of this ruling, I think we all know there is far more to come in the new year. Earlier this month Close Brothers were given permission to challenge the ruling and all eyes will be on the next hearing to see if the Court of Appeal could be overruled. Lenders and dealers alike will have everything crossed that it is, given the potential implications of the decision being upheld. Even the FCA seem unsure on what could happen going forward, with bosses recently admitting to MPs that this scandal could end up being as big as PPI. 

Bosses of family-run Murray Motors receive fines for ‘revenge attack’ on car vandal

Gordon and Morgan Murray, owners of Murray Motors in Scotland, avoided jail after a revenge attack on Roberto Tudora, who had vandalised their vehicles. The father-and-son duo were found guilty of attacking Tudora at his home, having been caught on security footage. They were fined £6,350 and £2,575, respectively. The Murrays had been angered by Tudora’s earlier actions, which caused £33,000 in damage to their cars.

Crooked car dealer avoids jail despite selling same ‘death trap’ twice in two months

Steven Hickman, a car dealer from Netherton, narrowly avoided jail after selling the same dangerous Subaru twice within two months. Despite selling the unroadworthy vehicle, which had severe corrosion and posed significant safety risks, Hickman was given a 13-month suspended sentence. He was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay £5,258 in compensation. Dudley Trading Standards condemned his actions, emphasising that selling unsafe cars would not be tolerated.

Car salesman who stole £33,000 from family-run employers ordered to repay just £1

Former car salesman Ceri Lewis stole almost £33,000 from Penybanc Car Sales over three years to fund his lavish lifestyle. He was jailed and later appeared in court under the Proceeds of Crime Act, where it was revealed he benefitted by £38,104.10. However, due to having no assets, Lewis was ordered to pay only £1 in restitution, with a victim surcharge of £140. The case may be revisited if his financial situation improves.

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Car Dealer has been covering the motor trade since 2008 as both a print and digital publication. In 2020 the title went fully digital and now provides daily motoring updates on this website for the car industry. A digital magazine is published once a month.



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