A ‘thief’ who managed to snatch a car from a trusting 21-year-old decided to add salt to the wounds by sending the owner a photo of his motor being crushed in a scrap yard.
George Wood, of Ashford, Kent, had listed his beloved silver Ford Fiesta on Facebook Marketplace when he handed over the keys to a ‘toothless’ man – who promised to pay for it later.
But the 21-year-old was left around £300 out of pocket when the buyer failed to transfer the money into his bank account.
A ‘thief’ who managed to snatch a car from a trusting 21-year-old decided to add salt to the wounds by sending the owner a photo of his motor being crushed in a scrap yard
George Wood, of Ashford, Kent, listed his silver Ford Fiesta (left) on Facebook Marketplace and was contacted by a man in his 30s with no teeth (right)
After Kent Police said there was nothing he could do, because he had willingly handed over the keys, George, from Ashford, posted an appeal on Facebook to try to find his silver motor.
The alleged thief then sent George a picture of his 16-year-old car at a scrap yard – being crushed by a giant metal claw
The alleged thief then sent George a picture of his 16-year-old car at a scrap yard – being crushed by a giant metal claw.
‘Stupidly, I agreed to let him take the car and pay by cash transfer, but the money never came through.
‘I sent texts but he just replied “You won’t be getting your money but you will be getting a punch in the mouth”,’ George added.
The incident happened last week, but a few days ago, George was sent a picture of his motor at a scrap yard.
‘I put out an appeal on social media hoping to track him down and got a photo of my Fiesta being scrapped, with a message “Ha ha try and find your car now”.
‘I couldn’t believe it when I got the picture I called all the yards in the area and one confirmed that my silver Fiesta had been scrapped.’
After Kent Police said there was nothing he could do, because he had willingly handed over the keys, George, from Ashford, posted an appeal on Facebook to try to find his silver motor
George added: ‘I thought they were just going to pay and that would be the end of it, but you can’t be too trusting.
‘I want to warn other people to watch out for things like this happening.
‘I’ve gone to the police but nothing seems to be getting done.’
George described the suspect as a man in his early 30s, in a tracksuit with no teeth.
He was trying to sell his motor for around £300, but now has been left with nothing.
Police spokesman Natalie Hardy confirmed officers are investigating.
She said: ‘The vehicle had been listed for sale online and the reported theft relates to dispute between the original owner and a prospective purchaser.’