Jail for fake GT Falcon seller

[Tha Jack]

Just saw this today. Not sure if its been posted, lf so Mods please delete thread.
http://www.examiner.com.au/story/182...-seller/?cs=95

[Djrystofer]

Don't think the link works
Just says server error, not sure if that's to do with the link or website

[Kevaclone]

link works fine

A PLUMBER who deceived a man into buying a fake Ford Falcon GT XY has been jailed for three months.

Shane John Hammond, 45, of Oatlands, was last month found guilty of dishonestly acquiring a financial advantage.

In 2007, Hammond sold a fake Ford Falcon GT XY for $85,000 and related items for $4500 to a man identified as Mr Griffin, knowing it was a rebodied vehicle.

In passing sentence on July 18, Justice Helen Wood said Hammond was aware the car was a rebodied vehicle when he bought it off a friend.

Justice Wood said Hammond offered to buy it as a V8 Falcon for $45,000, along with an unattached compliance plate from a genuine GT XY.

She said Hammond then sold it as a genuine Ford Falcon GT to Mr Griffin about two months later, grinding existing numbers off the top of the strut tower, then stamping the body and the engine block with numbers and letters to correspond with the unattached compliance plate.

``Mr Griffin took out a mortgage on his unencumbered home to finance the purchase and restoration work,'' Justice Wood said.

``After purchasing the car, Mr Griffin spent approximately $40,000 on restoration work. That would not have been an over-capitalisation if it had been a genuine GT XY Falcon.''

Justice Wood said about 2 1/2 years later, after the car had been brought to showroom condition, Mr Griffin tried to register it to discover the plate belonged to a stolen vehicle.


``The vehicle is in fact a 1970 XW Falcon. It cannot be registered in the future, the value of the vehicle in today's market in its immaculate restored condition is approximately $9000,'' she said.

``The deception has had a devastating effect on Mr Griffin. He has incurred interest on the loan in the amount of approximately $49,000 and the total amount he has lost attributable to this offence is $180,287.''

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Justice Wood said Hammond had agreed to a compensation order of $171,287.55 and acknowledged the impact a jail term would take on his business.

She sentenced him to 12 months' imprisonment from June 25, suspended after three months.

[Jim Goose]

Good!

Hopefully people will start to wake up about knowingly selling fake GTs and the like.

[nstg8a]

9k for a mint but unregisterable xy gt replica? il have three thanks...

good to see the guy got jail, i just hope he pays up the reparation.

[Tha Jack]

Thanks for posting it up Kevaclone.
Your not wrong nstg8a bit under priced I reckon.
I'll take a couple at that price as well!!!

[Werd.]

Originally Posted by nstg8a

9k for a mint but unregisterable xy gt replica? il have three thanks...

good to see the guy got jail, i just hope he pays up the reparation.

Me too, just for something pretty to look at / play with in the garage.

[Bearman]

It's about time these crooks got some bend over time in the big house!!

The poor buyer has done his ballz on it. I'd hate to be in that position, particularly being saddled with a car that can't be registered.

On the positive side, it'd be an awesome track car....

[NX74205]

Please delete. Wrong thread.

[nstg8a]

edited out erroneous quote


Justice Wood said Hammond offered to buy it as a V8 Falcon for $45,000, along with an unattached compliance plate from a genuine GT XY.

She said Hammond then sold it as a genuine Ford Falcon GT to Mr Griffin about two months later, grinding existing numbers off the top of the strut tower, then stamping the body and the engine block with numbers and letters to correspond with the unattached compliance plate.


and im only guessing, but given that the judge has sentenced him to jail im thinking this isnt his first offence.
a business owner that appears to be capable of paying reparation of that amount getting jail for what is basically a white collar crime.
pretty rare for a first offence.

[Bossxr8]

Why the hell didn't the buyer check the compliance plate numbers.

Seems like a pretty normal thing to do when spending that sort of money.

Mr Griffins first name isn't Peter is it, cause he seems about as smart as him.

[NX74205]

Originally Posted by nstg8a

not what the judge says

Yeah. I made a newbie error by not reading the article and assumed it was the De Romes case.

[mr smith]

As the economy tanks along with the muscle car boom, lots of these stories are coming out.
Good to see the courts taking it seriously.

[Iggypoppin']

Why can't it be registered? Plate is stolen but surely they could issue new plates and he could register it as an XW?

[Jim Goose]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Why the hell didn't the buyer check the compliance plate numbers.

Seems like a pretty normal thing to do when spending that sort of money.

Mr Griffins first name isn't Peter is it, cause he seems about as smart as him.

ummmmmm
read here...

Justice Wood said Hammond offered to buy it as a V8 Falcon for $45,000, along with an unattached compliance plate from a genuine GT XY.

and here..

She said Hammond then sold it as a genuine Ford Falcon GT to Mr Griffin about two months later, grinding existing numbers off the top of the strut tower, then stamping the body and the engine block with numbers and letters to correspond with the unattached compliance plate.

[something wrong]

All he (griffins) had to do is ring Revs and find out the car was stolen going by the ID plate Hammond attached to the car when he ground of the original ID number.

Glad the crook got what he deserved, but the buyer should also have done his due diligence.

[TC200six]

Reminds me of the story my old man told me about when he met the owner of a so-called Falcon GT. He looked at the compliance plate of what the owner thought was a GT hardtop of some kind...

"Pity it's not a real GT"

Owner: "Of course it's a real GT"

"Look at the compliance plate, it says Fairmont"

Owner: "Ohhhh"

[SteveJH]

Originally Posted by TC200six

Reminds me of the story my old man told me about when he met the owner of a so-called Falcon GT. He looked at the compliance plate of what the owner thought was a GT hardtop of some kind...

"Pity it's not a real GT"

Owner: "Of course it's a real GT"

"Look at the compliance plate, it says Fairmont"

Owner: "Ohhhh"

Werent the South African GT's Fairmonts? Could still be a GT...

[trippytaka]

It's good to see that there are people starting to get punished for this! It's a hell of a dodgy move to con someone out of so much coin!

[Falcman0o7]

Sucked into him! ( seller )

[Bucknaked]

Originally Posted by Falcman0o7

Sucked into him! ( seller )

For that amount of coin, he could have bought a new GT. no restoration required.

[I8hsv]

Suck ****

[TUF_302]

Good to see him locked up!

[XY GS]

In regards to the car being valued at $9,000, towards the end of the article it states that Mr. Griffin is out $180,287 and that Hammond had to pay $171,287.55 - close enough to $9,000 difference.
So it seems that by decreasing the value, Mr. Griffin is getting more back than if it was valued higher? So maybe the courts were actually helping by doing this?
Just something I noticed, might be off though.

[dieseltrain79]

Wonder if insurance companies are going to adjust redbook values after the judges 9k decision .....

Don't do the crime if ya can't do the time !

[ianxy351]

Thats the first jail sentence I have heard of, but interesting it didnt make the news in southern Tas as far as I am aware. Almost goes without saying, but I know the seller. But Tassie is a small place!

Interesting set of facts reported.