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Buyer’s insurance company notified him a vehicle he bought for €11,500 was a recorded write-off following a crash in 2023
A car dealer and his salesmen have been convicted of selling previously written-off cars that were “spiced up” and sold to unsuspecting customers in Dublin .
Andrius Miliauskas, from Ukraine but living at Royal Canal Court, Church Street, Kilcock, Co Kildare, and his employer, Brian Healy, Slade Road, Saggart, Co Dublin, were prosecuted by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission for misleading practices. The co-defendants pleaded guilty to a combined 10 charges contrary to sections 47 and 79 of the Consumer Protection Act 2007.
At Dublin District Court on Wednesday, Judge Anthony Halpin said buyers had been “completely deceived” by Healy, owner of Lucan Auto Sales on Lucan Road, and his salesman Miliauskas. Judge Halpin said Healy had taken these cars, had them “spiced up”, and resold them. At sentencing, he emphasised that the vehicles had been written off and he lacked confidence in their roadworthiness. He said routine NCT tests may not necessarily detect such defects.
However, a breakdown on the highway could have had fatal consequences for occupants or other road users. Healy, who had no prior convictions, was ordered to pay a €1,500 fine, €3,567 in costs and €1,994 in compensation, with six months to pay. Miliauskas, who still owes money from a previous conviction for misleading a car buyer, was sentenced to four months in prison, but lodged an appeal and was released on bail set at €5,000.
The court heard the case arose from a CCPC investigation into transactions in 2023 and 2024. Prosecuting counsel Cathal Ó Braonáin said one complainant bought a 2016-registered Ford Focus for €11,500 after seeing it advertised on DoneDeal. Before an earlier crash, the vehicle had been valued at €12,000. It was subsequently written off, passed to a salvage yard and another dealer, and ultimately acquired by Healy.
When the buyer inquired about the car’s history, salesman Miliauskas did not disclose its prior write-off status. He assured the customer everything was fine, claiming they had fixed only minor items, and provided a vehicle report showing no alerts. The buyer later discovered an air conditioning issue, including a hole in the radiator. When he complained and asked if the car had been in a crash, Miliauskas rejected the claim and insisted it just needed a new radiator.
The buyer’s insurance company subsequently notified him the vehicle was a recorded write-off following a crash in March 2023. When confronted again, Miliauskas still denied that it had been in a crash before.
Finally, the customer received €6,500 from his insurer and €3,001 from salvage, leaving him facing a net loss of just under €2,000.
Dublin-District-Court Motors Nct Dublin
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