Car storage boss nicked customer’s Porsche
The boss of an executive car storage company that offers ‘a safe haven for cars’ stole a £50,000 Porsche while its owner was abroad, a court heard.
Umair Bhatti, 30, managing director of ‘airport meet and greet’ firm Garaged.com, took the black Porsche SPO Sports Model 912 from an underground car park.
The £50,000 car had been entrusted to him by Arslan Khan and locked up under the County Hall apartments next to the London Eye, Camberwell Magistrates’ Court heard.
While Mr Khan was out of the country on April 7 this year Bhatti sold the car to pay off his debts.
Robert Chambers, prosecuting, said: ‘The defendant, we say, runs an executive car storage company, Garaged.com.
‘He rents parking spaces in the residential underground car park.
‘The vehicle in question, the Porsche, was at this location.’
Bhatti, a former balcony salesman, claims he bought the car from Mr Khan for £20,000.
While Mr Khan was out of the country Bhatti applied to the DVLA to transfer the details of the car over to him, the court heard.
‘The owner of the car received a letter on February 17 notifying him of the changes and giving him 14 days to respond,’ said Mr Chambers.
‘Unfortunately he was out of the country.’
When Mr Khan briefly returned to London he moved the Porsche to a different part of the car park, Mr Chambers said.
He covered it and left a note saying the police were aware of what Bhatti had done and the car should not be moved.
‘On 7 April the defendant arrived a the car park with two men from a recovery company,’ said Mr Chambers.
‘The defendant took the logbook, removed the sign and the vehicle was removed from the car park.
‘It was reported to the police on 8 April but it appears the vehicle has been sold on by the defendant.’
After initially saying he had bought the car Bhatti then claimed to being ‘under pressure from bad people’ due to unpaid money for building work, Mr Chambers told the court.
Bhatti admitted using the Porsche to pay off the debt.
‘The complainant says the car is worth £50,000,’ said Mr Chambers.
Garaged.com offer an ‘airport valet parking’ service at Gatwick Airport.
They claim to give ‘each vehicle the care, attention and space it needs whether it’s a Ferrari or Fiesta’.
The company, based in Kings Mill, South Nutfield, Surrey, advertise as ‘a safe haven cars that would otherwise be left to the mercy of rogue off-site airport parking companies’.
Their website also has a ‘classified’ section with cars for sale.
It was previously reported that Garaged.com went out of business in December 2014.
Unrecovered debt of £42,500.66 was reportedly written off by Tandridge District Council.
Bhatti, a self confessed ‘petrolhead’, previously worked as a salesman for Balcony Systems Ltd.
He is known to organise events for other car enthusiasts.
Bhatti, of (214) King Edward Avenue, Worthing, West Sussex, admitted theft of a motor vehicle.
A charge of fraud by false representation in relation to selling the car was dropped.
District judge Timothy Stone said: ‘This matter will be committed to crown court for sentencing as it is beyond my powers of sentencing.’
He sent the case to Inner London Crown Court for Bhatti to be sentenced on a date to be fixed.
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