Mechanic Sentenced After Charging £4,000 for Repairs and Abandoning Van

A Falmouth man has been sentenced after charging nearly £4,000 for van repairs he never completed, before abandoning the vehicle in a supermarket car park.

False Promises and Missing Van

On Wednesday 23rd July, Jamie Leigh Wright appeared at Bodmin Magistrates’ Court for sentencing, after being found guilty of fraud.

An investigation by Cornwall Council’s Trading Standards team revealed that in July 2024, Wright, of Azenor Avenue in Falmouth, agreed to replace the engine in a Volkswagen van for £3,954. The customer, relying on the promise that the work would only take two weeks, took out a loan and paid Wright in advance.

Instead of carrying out the repairs, Wright kept giving excuses. The van was later found abandoned in a supermarket car park and was eventually recovered and auctioned off as an abandoned vehicle.

The customer ended up losing both the £3,954 paid and the van, which had an estimated value of around £6,000.

Court Sentencing and Compensation

Wright, 42, was previously convicted of fraud in October 2024 for similar vehicle repair-related offences. For this latest case, he received a 26-week prison sentence, suspended for two years.

Magistrates agreed to suspend the sentence after hearing that Wright had since found new employment and was no longer working as a mechanic. He was also ordered to pay the victim £10,000 in compensation.

Councillor Thalia Marrington, cabinet member with responsibility for Community Safety and Public Health at Cornwall Council, said:

“I’d like to thank our Trading Standards team for bringing this individual to justice and securing compensation for the victim.
This prosecution sends a very clear message that we will not allow people to rip off Cornwall’s residents.”