Bristol man jailed for fraudulent car sale in Torfaen

Evan Beman of Lockleaze admitted selling cars without disclosing they were insurance losses

A Bristol man has been jailed for three years after admitting selling almost 300 damaged cars to unsuspecting customers.

Evan Beman (47), of Gainsborough Square in Lockleaze created Facebook profiles to sell the vehicles without sharing that they had been written off by insurance companies.

He also used false names to register vehicles with the DVLA in a fraud estimated to be worth up to £165,000.

He pleaded guilty to charges under the Fraud Act during a hearing at Cardiff Crown Court.

Councilor Mandy Owen, executive member for environment at Torfaen Council, said: “While selling accident-damaged vehicles is not illegal, selling them without disclosing the history is against the law and can be dangerous for drivers and other road users.

“The tip when looking for a second hand car is to ask questions about the vehicle and check its MOT history. Customers can also complete an online hire purchase investigation check.”

The case against Beman began in June 2021 when a 17-year-old contacted Torfaen Council’s trading standards team after buying a Vauxhall Corsa through a Facebook seller in Cwmbran, which broke down just 15 minutes after they bought it.

They were left with a repair bill of over £1,300 and when they complained they were told the vehicle was sold as seen and they were not entitled to a refund.

An investigation later found that the car had previously been involved in an accident and was Category C cancelled.

Cardiff Crown Court heard that trading standards officers discovered that Beman and a business partner purchased 292 vehicles through a salvage vehicle company registered through a third party account between February 1, 2021 and September 16, 2022.

Several other customers of theirs were contacted and said they were unaware they had purchased vehicles damaged in the accident.

If you think you’ve been a victim of something similar, you can report it via this link.

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