Wick man jailed after ‘cack-handed’ attempt to sell car he didn’t own

Alexander Newlands offered to sell a car to a man at a bargain price... but the trouble was it didn’t belong to him.

The vehicle, a Toyota Aygo, was a courtesy car Newlands should have returned to an Inverness motor firm, Wick Sheriff Court heard.

Newlands (43) was previously ordered to carry out 100 hours unpaid work for the offence but Sheriff Neil Wilson was told he had made little or no effort and jailed him for five months.

Newlands, who pleaded guilty, did the deal with George Williamson in Lyth on April 7, 2022.

Fiscal depute Grant McLennan said that Newlands offered it to Mr Williamson for £500 – described as being “too good to be true”.

Mr McLennan said that Newlands wanted a quick sale and Mr Williamson took charge of the car, although soon afterwards it was repossessed by a representative from the Inverness motor firm. Mr Williamson then reported the matter to the police.

Newlands was cautioned and charged with inducing the man to purchase a car which didn’t belong to him and attempting to obtain £500 by fraud.

Solicitor Fiona MacDonald described it as “a cack-handed attempt” and one in which the accused, who admitted breaching his unpaid work order, was “bound to be found out”.

Sheriff Wilson took Newlands, of Kennedy Terrace, Wick, to task for his poor performance with his unpaid work having completed only 12 hours since it was imposed on January 24.

The sheriff told him: “You obviously have no intention of taking this matter seriously.”

The work order was revoked and the prison term substituted.