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A FRAUDSTER who sold a ‘written-off’ car has been ordered to pay £2,500 compensation to his victim.
On Tuesday, Frankie Houlahan (53), of Woodlawn Drive, Dungannon was sentenced at Omagh Magistrates Court. The defendant had contested a fraud charge, but was found guilty and convicted of the offence. The court heard that, on April 13, police received a report from a woman who believed she had been scammed after buying a car.
The woman had bought a Volkswagen Golf from the defendant, who had supplied the woman with a different name at the time.
She asked the defendant if there were any problems or any previous crashes with the vehicle, which he replied no.
problems
The woman then bought the car for £3,200, the court heard. However, soon after the purchase, she began having problems with the vehicle.
After checking the history she discovered that the car had been written off some time before she purchased it.
The woman subsequently confronted Houlahan and reported the incident to the police. Defence counsel Blaine Nugent told the court that Houlahan had cooperated fully
with police and had a
‘largely positive’ pre-sentence report.
However, District Judge Ted Magill said that the 53-year-old had ‘limited acceptance’ of his offending and noted that he was found guilty after contesting the charge.
The judge sentenced Houlahan to four months imprisonment, which was then suspended for two years, and ordered him to pay back £2,500 to the victim.