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North Yorkshire ex-Porsche dealer imprisoned for fraudulent trading

January 14, 2026

North Yorkshire ex-Porsche dealer imprisoned for fraudulent trading GlobalData Wed, January 14, 2026 at 5:16 PM GMT+5:30 2 min read DRPRF A former director of a North Yorkshire car dealership has been jailed after admitting fraudulent trading that left customers and investors around £1.5m out of pocket, with the case centred on the misuse of customer funds and vehicle-backed finance arrangements. John Patrick Hawkins, 66, was sentenced at Bradford Crown Court after pleading guilty to fraudulent trading linked to his management of Specialist Cars of Malton Limited between late 2018 and February 2020. Reporting by TeessideLive said the court heard the business, which traded in high-value Porsche vehicles, ran into increasing financial difficulty as losses mounted and reliance on an overdraft grew.

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Key Highlights

Judge Ahmed Nadim told the court that Hawkins was the sole director and had continued trading while insolvent, using money from new customers to meet existing liabilities.
The judge described the conduct as a “sustained” course of dishonesty rather than a short-term lapse, with customer deposits and sale proceeds diverted to keep the business operating.
By 2019, Hawkins was in serious financial difficulty and began misleading customers, lenders and investors, the court was told.
This included selling vehicles on behalf of owners without passing on proceeds, and raising finance against vehicles he did not own.
The judge said the £1.5m figure did not fully reflect the impact on victims, many of whom had placed trust in the business.

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North Yorkshire ex-Porsche dealer imprisoned for fraudulent trading

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North Yorkshire ex-Porsche dealer imprisoned for fraudulent trading

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