Birmingham car clampers plead guilty to conspiracy (say hi to Bubba...)

Crabman

FOUR car clampers have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud over their involvement with a city centre car clamping scheme that raked in more than £100,000 from at least 300 motorists.

http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2010/10/29/birmingham-car-clampers-plead-guilty-to-conspiracy-97319-27565061/

Phillip Bennett, aged 34, of College Road, Saltley, Gary Southall, 49, of Heatherdale, Moseley, Wayne Southall, 41, of Tyseley Lane, Tyseley, and Victoria Charlton, 43, also of Heatherdale, Moseley, admitted the charge at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday.

All four were arrested in a dawn raid by police and trading standards officers in July last year for offences between January 2006 and July 2009.

His Honour Judge R Juckes QC told the four custodial sentences were “a very real option in this case” as he adjourned for sentencing until November 26.

:j

trisontana

Two more examples of parking/clamping companies using official sounding names to try and fool people they are somehow legit.:-

National Parking Control and Nationwide Parking Authority Ltd

Sir_Roger_deLodger

His Honour Judge R Juckes QC told the four custodial sentences were “a very real option in this case” as he adjourned for sentencing until November 26.

Hope the judge really means that.

Coupon-mad

Another one bites the dust... just like Lee Peacock, due to be sentenced this coming week. :T

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/10/24/clamper-boss-on-fraud-rap-115875-22654706/

At last, some cases coming to Court, too late for many people who will have given up getting their money back long ago. But I seriously hope these scumbags have their houses & other assets seized by Trading Standards or the Police.

HO87

Not forgetting that there are another six clampers - formerly of Midland Parking Contracts - due for trial at Worcester Crown Court on 6 December 2010 - charged with Blackmail. Click Here

geordieracer

good to see them coming to order..

sassy_one

Now remove there assets under the 'Proceeds of crime Act'

Driver8

HO87 wrote: »

Not forgetting that there are another six clampers - formerly of Midland Parking Contracts - due for trial at Worcester Crown Court on 6 December 2010 - charged with Blackmail. Click Here

Let us pray that they're eating gruel come Christmas day.

sassy_one

Driver8 wrote: »

Let us pray that they're eating gruel come Christmas day.

I'm hoping that they are also banned from managing any firm for 5 years or more

dacouch

trisontana wrote: »

Two more examples of parking/clamping companies using official sounding names to try and fool people they are somehow legit.:-

National Parking Control and Nationwide Parking Authority Ltd

It makes you wonder how companies house allowed them to use the word Aurhority in their name http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/about/gbhtml/gp1.shtml#appA (see apendix a)

HO87

dacouch wrote: »

It makes you wonder how companies house allowed them to use the word Authority in their name http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/about/gbhtml/gp1.shtml#appA (see apendix a)

Makes you worry - given how strongly CoHo push this in their publications. The other aspect is this, which appears on Page 2 of the Birmingham Mail report linked in Crabman's original post:

"Notorious Gary Southall previously attempted to pay £1,300 court costs to trading standards in 1p coins in a shopping trolley. He had been convicted of eight offences under the Business Names Act after 190 complaints were lodged against him. At the time he claimed trading standards had a vendetta against him."

This refers to Southall's appearance in court in 2008 - Click Here. This makes particularly interesting reading when you consider that the case appears to have revolved around his omission of the business owner's name from receipts his company issued for clamping fees.

It makes you wonder quite what would happen to some PPC's were they to be scooped up for such offences? A fine of this magnitude would see a good few of them folding - not that any of us would shed a tear - but being a criminal sanction it couldn't be ignored in the same way as CCJ's are.