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A USED-CAR dealer convicted of ‘clocking’ cars he sold to wannabe private hire drivers has been stung for £67,710.
That’s how much Plymouth City Council will recover from Mark Constantine, owner of the Maritime Car Company, of Woodland Terrace, Greenbank following a hearing yesterday at Plymouth Crown Court under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
Constantine, aged 48 and from Windermere Crescent, Derriford, was jailed for six months in March after pleading guilty to 10 charges of applying a false trade description and asking for 12 similar offences to be taken into account.
The cases were brought by Plymouth City Council on behalf of Trading Standards.
His customers, many from the Czech Republic, were often people who wanted to set themselves up in business as taxi drivers, but couldn’t afford to buy a car outright or get normal credit.
Yesterday, following a day-long hearing, Judge Ian Leeming QC ordered Constantine to pay £67,710 by May 14, 2010, or face two years in prison. He would still have to pay the sum if he serves a prison sentence.
Costs of £2,500 were awarded and a further costs hearing is due to take place on December 22.
This is the first time Plymouth City Council’s Trading Standards have recovered money under this Act.
Trading Standards officer Richard Green said: “We are delighted with this result as it is the culmination of many months of hard work.
“We have deprived Mr Constantine of much of the money he made from his criminal activity, and all the time and effort he put into clocking cars has been wasted as he has lost his financial benefit.”
A financial investigator looked at Constantine’s finances and worked out how much money he made from selling clocked cars. Constantine’s realisable assets, such as money, possessions and property, were also taken into account as part of the investigation.
Half of the money taken from Constantine will go to HM Treasury, with the rest split between the courts, the prosecuting authority – Plymouth Trading Standards – and the financial investigator.
Trading Standards will use its share of the money to offset the cost of the proceedings, with any remaining money being ploughed back into the service.
Cllr Peter Brookshaw, Cabinet Member for Safer and Stronger Communities, said: “Trading Standards wants people to be able to buy vehicles with confidence and car clocking damages that confidence and will not be tolerated.
“As always, but particularly at a time when the legitimate traders are struggling, we will do what we can to ensure there is a level playing field.
“This case is important because it shows crime does not pay.”
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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin
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