Tens of thousands confiscated from rogue car dealers

Tens of thousands of pounds have been confiscated and returned to the victims of two rogue car dealers who defrauded £100,000 from people across Sussex.

West Sussex Trading Standards said Lucien Munn (54) and Linda Atrell (51) were jailed in 2015 for advertising and selling hundreds of written off cars via Autotrader and Gumtree.

At the time of when they were jailed West Sussex County Council reported Munn was living at an address in Copthorne while Atrell lived in East Grinstead.

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Munn was jailed for three years while Atrell was given a 21 month sentence.

The pair were also caught falsifying service histories, and describing vehicles as “sold as seen” on invoices to avoid liability under civil legislation for the sale of faulty or misdescribed goods.

Trading Standards said that at crown court hearing held in Hove on Thursday, July 27, a Proceeds of Crime Act resulted in £67,000 being confiscated from Munn.

He was also ordered to pay £40,000 costs.

Atrell was ordered to pay £1,000.

West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Stronger, Safer Communities, Debbie Kennard, said: “At last victims affected by these cases can receive some money back from the fraud they suffered at the hands of these two con-artists.

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“Crime doesn’t pay and we are glad to see the courts reward the persistence of our Trading Standards officers by confiscating this money so consumers can benefit.”

West Sussex County Council’s Trading Standards Team Manager, Richard Sargeant, said: “We always encourage consumers to use traders from the Buy with Confidence scheme, the members of which are audited and approved by Trading Standards.

“Anyone who thinks they have been a victim of an unfair trading practice, should contact Trading Standards via Citizens Advice on 03454 04 05 06 or online via www.westsussex.gov.uk/tsreport.”