Garage boss clocked 99,000 miles off car

A GLODWICK garage owner has been heavily fined after clocking a whopping 99,000 miles off a car he sold.

Rashid Moughal, of Gigg Lane, Bury, was found guilty following a two-day trial at Oldham Magistrates’ Court.

When the 43 year old, who operated from a site in Park Road, bought the Ford Fusion from an auction it had 187,000 miles on the clock. When he sold it the display showed only 88,000 miles.

Moughal claimed he was unaware the reading had been adjusted and that he was under a lot of stress at the time.

Despite having previously received advice from Oldham Trading Standards and a caution for a misleading advertising offence in the past, he put the car up for sale with the lower mileage advertised and failed to tell the buyer that the odometer had been changed.

Moughal was convicted of dishonestly making false representation and two offences of misleading actions deceptive in their presentation. He was sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid work and to pay compensation of £1,500 to the purchaser, plus prosecution costs of £3,977.

Magistrates accepted the prosecution’s evidence in its entirety, adding that Moughal had given confusing and contradictory evidence and was dishonest in what he did.