Dealer convicted for selling car with ‘clocked’ odometer

A Dublin motor dealer has been fined and ordered by a judge to pay legal costs and €7,000 compensation for selling a “clocked” car.

Timmy Keane (61), with an address at Harold’s Cross Cottages, Dublin 6, had pleaded not guilty to selling an 08-registered Volkswagen Passat with a misleading odometer which had a reading 60,000 km less than it should have been, on dates in April and June 2012.

Keane, who was prosecuted at Dublin District Court by the National Consumer Agency (NCA), claimed he was not responsible for stocking cars at his family business, VK Motors Ltd in Harold’s Cross, and said he was no longer in control of the firm.

However, he was convicted of breaching the Consumer Protection Act by Judge John O’Neill, who said while it was unfortunate for Keane, who has been in the motor trade for 40 years, “the consumer must be protected”.

The court heard the Passat’s engine “blew up” after it was sold to a second unsuspecting buyer.

Customer Joe Conlon told the NCA’s solicitor Michael Finnegan he paid €13,500 for the Passat, which had an odometer reading of 110,500 km when he bought it from Keane in April 2012.