March 2021

NEWS 6 AFTERMARKET MARCH 2021 www.aftermarketonline.net Cheque cheek? Garage scammed by “thoroughly dishonest” mechanic A garage that was conned out of £1,060 in a cheque fraud perpetrated by one of its mechanics saw the scammer sentenced recently. Carmarthen-based Geraint Jones 4x4 utilised the services of self-employed mechanic Timothy Vicary, Wales Online reported. His con was uncovered by the business in January 2020 when discrepancies between sums paid out and details on four cheques from November and December 2019 were found. All of these were on cheques issued to Vicary. Examples of the deception included threes being turned into eights. Vicary denied any wrongdoing when he was called in to explain, and blamed bank error. When interviewed by the Police, he suggested alterations to the cheques may have been made within the garage by mistake. Although he initially entered a Not Guilty plea, Vicary later changed this to Guilty. During sentencing on four counts of making a false instrument at Swansea Crown Court, the Judge described Vicary as a "a thoroughly dishonest man." Vicary received 30 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months, plus £20,000 costs. He was also ordered him to undertake a rehabilitation course as well as performing 150 hours of unpaid work. In addition, a confiscation order was made, totalling £1,060 which was expected to be paid through the sale of his confiscated vehicles. British Motor Show VIP pass winners announced Snap-on is offering live IMI-accredited online training for users of its APOLLO-D8 tools. Stephen Fox, Snap-on Diagnostic Trainer, will lead the sessions, designed to help techs get up to speed with their tool. The training is built around two sessions. Each session will provide 30 minutes of material and 15 minutes for questions and answers. A spokesman for Snap-on said: “Technicians will learn how to get the most out of their diagnostic platform and its various features, including Intelligent Diagnostic which saves users time by guiding them directly to the fix and eliminating guesswork.” Technicians will receive their IMI Professional Development Certificate after completing the course. Events start the first Monday of every month. To register for a training session, visit: diagnostics.snapon.co.uk/online-training For more from Snap-on, turn to page 36 . The winners of the British Motor Show 2021 competition, which appeared in the December/January issue of Aftermarket, have been announced. Tony Ray from St Leonards Motors in St Leonards-on-Sea in East Sussex and Kay Hugo from Bridge Garage in Redruth in Cornwall each win a pair of VIP tickets to attend the show, which is taking place from 19-22 August at Farnborough International. The show will feature a range of new, live and interactive features, as well as all the traditional elements. Along with external displays and attractions including vehicle test drives, driving experiences, go-karting and supercar passenger rides, there will be celebrities, including Mr Wheeler Dealer himself Mike Brewer. Tony and Kay’s VIP tickets will provide them with early access, as well as access to the VIP Lounge all day, breakfast and a buffet lunch, with hot and cold drinks all day. They will also meet the celebs, and have access to the arena paddock. Many congratulations to Tony and Kay, and we hope you enjoy the show. To find out more about the show, book tickets or keep up with the latest news, visit www.thebritishmotorshow.live For this issue’s brilliant Aftermarket magazine competition turn to page 39 . Live APOLLO D-8 tools training from Snap-on Ben launch SilverCloud platform Ben recently launched SilverCloud, its new mental health and wellbeing platform. Topics such as stress, anxiety and depression are covered, as well as supporting issues such as money worries, sleep and resilience. Each programme features a range of interactive tools such as videos, activities, quizzes, and audio guides. Rachel Clift, Health and Wellbeing Director at Ben, said: “With so many programmes to choose from, I’m thrilled we can offer this support to those working across the industry. SilverCloud will help people look after their mental health and wellbeing both now during these tough times, as well as in the future.” SilverCloud is completely free for anyone who works, or has worked, in the automotive industry. To sign up, visit: https://ben.silvercloudhealth.com/signup Follow us on Facebook @aftermarketmagazine