A used car dealer from Leicestershire has been jailed for more than three years after being found guilty of multiple counts of fraud relating to the sale of faulty vehicles.
Lee David Graham Irons of Sileby was sentenced to three years and four months in prison following a three-week trial at Leicester Crown Court.
He was convicted on 14 charges linked to dishonest car sales at his business Affordable Cars Thurcaston.
- Used car dealer sentenced for selling faulty vehicles and falsifying paperwork
- Convicted of multiple fraud charges for misrepresenting car sales
- Lengthy investigation, a three-week trial for repeat offender
A used car dealer from Leicestershire has been jailed for more than three years after being found guilty of multiple counts of fraud relating to the sale of faulty vehicles.
Lee David Graham Irons of Sileby was sentenced to three years and four months in prison following a three-week trial at Leicester Crown Court.
He was convicted on 14 charges linked to dishonest car sales at his business Affordable Cars Thurcaston.
The prosecution was brought by Leicestershire County Council’s Trading Standards team after receiving numerous complaints from customers who said the cars they purchased were defective and misrepresented. The offences took place between March 2021 and September 2022.
Trading Standards officers discovered that Irons had sold 12 faulty vehicles during that period. In many cases, customers reported issues with their cars almost immediately.
One woman returned her car the day after purchase, only to be denied a refund. The vehicle was then resold. Investigators also found falsified service histories and MOT certificates linked to the cars sold. When officers visited the dealership, they found several unsafe and unroadworthy vehicles being advertised for sale.
In addition to the three-year sentence, Irons received an extra four months for breaching a suspended sentence handed down in November 2020 for similar offences – also prosecuted by Trading Standards.
Passing sentence, Judge Robert Brown criticised Irons’s behaviour, describing his business as ‘thoroughly dishonest’. “You were cheating your customers… providing a service which was not just unprofessional, it was clearly fraudulent. The verdicts speak for themselves,” he said.
The judge noted Irons’s lack of remorse, adding that his defence involved accusing witnesses of lying and forgery. While he acknowledged Irons’s family circumstances and stated intention to leave the motor trade for plumbing, the judge made clear the seriousness of the offences.
He also praised Leicestershire Trading Standards for their detailed investigation. A spokesperson for Leicestershire County Council Trading Standards said the sentence sends a strong message: “Repeat offenders can expect a tough response. We will not hesitate to crack down on shameless and dishonest behaviour that harms consumers.”
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