Dishonest Collier Row voluntary worker sentenced for selling written off vehicle to unsuspecting buyer

An aspiring lawyer has had his career brought to a “devastating end” after pleading guilty to fraud.

Hilal Sheikh, of Mawney Court, Collier Row, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation after selling a written off car to an unsuspecting buyer.

Sheikh made the sale in February 2015 through the Auto Trader website but failed to tell buyer Andrew Sutherland it had been in a serious accident and was a category D write off vehicle.

Mr Sutherland bought the car for £8,700 and only found out the state it was in after garages carried out MOT checks.

The Collier Row volunteer worker was told he had “lost his good character” as a result of his devious actions.

Sheikh, who was representing himself at Barkingside Court, arrived with the intention of changing his plea to not-guilty after claiming he felt “pressured” to plead guilty at an earlier hearing by his solicitors but this was thrown out by the magistrate judge.

In his defence, Sheikh appealed for a conditional discharge due to a series of mitigating factors.

He said: “Everything I have worked towards for the last three years has come to a devastating end.

“I am a family man and I have never committed any other offence before.

“I needed the funds because I had just moved homes and had a second child.”

Sheikh was ordered to pay £1,170 to the court which included £1,000 compensation to the victim.

The dad of two was also told he would have to undertake 40 hours of unpaid work.