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A self-proclaimed mechanic, who stole a customer’s car by claiming that he was going to repair it, has been sentenced to three years in prison by the High Criminal Court.
The 32-year-old defendant from Budaiya transferred the Hyundai Accent’s ownership to himself without the owner’s knowledge, along with its attached licence plate number, the court heard.
The Bahraini was convicted of seven charges, including fraud, falsifying the victim’s signature, forging a car sales contract and intentionally using a falsified official document.
He was also found guilty of collaborating with a well-intentioned employee to falsify two official documents – vehicle ownership transfer forms and licence plate ownership belonging to the General Directorate of Traffic’s Vehicle Licencing Division.
He was further convicted of using the victim’s valid CPR card for his own profit and stealing something that was given to him for safekeeping in a way that negatively affects the owner.
According to the victim, the suspect was walking by his house one day, where he spotted his broken-down 2015 Hyundai parked outside and offered to fix it, claiming to be an expert at car repairs.
“A few days after he took the car, he informed me that the engine needed to be replaced, and told me he’d source a new engine,” the 30-year-old member of the Banhrain Defence Forces told the Public Prosecution.
“He’d ask me for money for miscellaneous repairs, spare parts, and so on. I’d pay him in cash sometimes and also through BenefitPay.
“After a week, he called me and said that the engine wasn’t the right fit, and promised to take my car to another garage if he failed in his next attempt. He kept stalling, then left the country for two months.”
The victim stated that he later found out that the car was no longer legally owned by him and that it has been transferred to the ‘mechanic’.
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