Fraudster jailed over con on mobility aids
A fraduster?who swindled thousands of pounds from pensioners' bank accounts, including one belonging to a Tipton man, has been jailed for three years.
Basharat Bashir was a director of Mobility World (UK) Ltd, which attracted customers from across the Midlands, including Wolverhampton, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Dudley and Sandwell.
Birmingham Crown Court heard the company sold mobility items to make the lives of customers more comfortable.
But some goods that had been ordered and paid for never arrived.
On several occasions, having paid a deposit, customers would be revisited by Mr Bashir, of Birmingham, who would offer a discount if the consumer was willing to pay the balance up front in cash prior to delivery.
Several consumers took up this offer but still never received either the goods or their money back.
In some cases where payment had been made via a bank card, Mr Bashir also used the customer's bank card number to pay for goods and services for himself, including paying his TV subscription, paying his mobile phone bill and also renting several vehicles.
In one case, 87-year-old victim Joseph Gripton from Tipton, who died in May 2011, had his bank card used to pay for goods and services totalling just over £6,000.
This was in addition to the £3,275 that Mr Gripton had paid out for a mattress which was never delivered.
The prosecution presented evidence from 11 victims who had paid out approximately £16,000 for a range of mobility items that never arrived.
Bashir, 33, of Eltonia Croft in Sheldon in Birmingham was sentenced on Friday at Birmingham Crown Court.
In addition to the prison sentence he was also disqualified from being a company director for seven years.
He had previously pleaded guilty to a total of 19 offences, including 17 offences of fraud contrary to the Fraud Act 2006.
Bashir also pleaded guilty to an offence of fraudulent trading, contrary to section 993 of the Companies Act 2006 and to an offence of money laundering, contrary to section 327 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
The offences had been committed during 2009 and 2010.
His wife Sophia Munir, aged 34, also of Eltonia Croft had earlier received a caution for an offence of money laundering contrary to section 327 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
The case was taken to court following an investigation by the Regional Trading Standards Scambuster Team.
