A BOGUS car salesman has been jailed for 20 months after lying about cars he was selling and forging service history books.
Michael Carrington set up false web companies advertising cars that turned out not to be what 40 of his victims thought they were, a court heard.
Louisa Bagley, prosecuting, said: “Some had mechanical faults, all were unsatisfactory and did not reflect the advertised cars that were purchased.”
But when his customers complained, Carrington – also known as Michael Collins and Michael John Cattafo – would often become aggressive or simply ignore them.
One occasion a customer asked for a service book and then had a false one flung at him, Southampton Crown Court was told.
The online companies he was trading under were Prestige Cars Ltd, a name of a legitimate business with no connection, and Part Exchange Centre Ltd, Miss Bagley said. Both were not officially registered.
Carrington also forged service history books, the court heard.
Police found two stamps bearing the names “Horton Garage BMW Specialist Service Centre” and “Carrington’s Mercedes Benz Service Centre”, none of which exist.
In all he was believed to have pocketed at least £59,000 from his fraudulent activity, dating from October 2009 to September 2010.
Carrington, 38, of Chapel Road, West End, pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud and two of possessing an article used in fraud.
Mark Sullivan, defending, described his client as “psychologically fragile”.
He said: “He has an unusual personality and is delusional at times.
“It was his original intention to run a legitimate business but he started cutting corners.”
Carrington also pleaded guilty to fraudulently pretending to be a “Peter Logan” to obtain a prescription for codeine phosphate from St Luke’s Surgery in Hedge End.
Mr Sullivan said his client had developed an addiction to opiates after being prescribed painkillers for Chrohn’s disease.
But sentencing, Judge Derwin said: “Despite your mitigation these matters are so serious that only an immediate term of imprisonment is justified.”
