'Clocked' car dealer faces jail sentence

A car dealer was today facing jail for selling 'clocked' cars and insurance write-offs.

Ako Sheikh featured the wrong mileages in Auto Trader adverts offering cars including Audis for sale.

The 29-year, of Brook Street, Smethwick, also failed to disclose that some had been declared write-offs, or inform one customer a car had had four previous owners, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

Sheikh failed to declare the correct mileage in adverts for four cars including two Audis, a Ford Mondeo and a Renault Megane Dynamique.

In one advert, he claimed an Audi A3 had been driven fewer than 70,000 miles when it had actually clocked up more than 100,000.

Others claimed a Mondeo had been driven 73,000 miles instead of more than 150,000, while a Megane was advertised as having been driven 71,000 miles when it had actually done more than 100,000.

The court also heard Sheikh had failed to declare five cars were insurance write-offs.

Judge John Wait warned Sheikh custody was inevitable.

Sheikh pleaded guilty on Friday to 10 charges of engaging in unfair commercial practice. The case was adjourned to February 13 for sentence.