Man ordered to pay £10,000 for stealing caravans

by Justine Iorga
Man convicted of selling stolen luxury caravans to unsuspecting eBayers fined, but is sentence too lenient?
A man caught and convicted of selling stolen caravans to unsuspecting buyers has been fined £10,000 or face six month’s prison time.
Joseph Cochrane, 47, from Stretford, Greater Manchester, was convicted of handling luxury caravans stolen in Holland and Germany worth a total of £34,000 and selling them to unbeknownst eBayers.
Luckily, police managed to catch Cochrane before he could scam too many buyers. When officers from Greater Manchester Police raided his home they seized £2,680 in cash. Cochrane disputed ownership of the money and stated he had no other assets. He also claimed that he had sold the caravans on behalf of another man who had taken all the money.
At a confiscation hearing in Manchester Crown Court on 19 March, Cochrane was ordered to pay £10,000 within the next six months or face six months imprisonment. If Cochrane were to serve the six months that would not change the fact that he would still have to pay the fine.
Detective Constable John Townsend, from GMP’s Asset Attack Team, said: “Both members of the public who lost out should now get back all the money they lost back.
“While fraud is a growing problem, I would like to reassure both members of the public and criminals engaged in fraud that Greater Manchester Police is determined not only to bring criminals to justice but also to leave no stone unturned in making sure that we strip criminals of their assets and compensate their victims who have lost their hard earned money through fraud,” he continued.
Townsend went on: “It may take a while to complete the process but Greater Manchester Police do not forget, and we are fully aware of the impact fraud can have on members of the public.
“It is one of the best parts of my job to contact victims and tell them the good news when we succeed in retrieving their money.”
What do you think of Cochrane’s punishment? Was he let off too easily of his offence? Let us know your thoughts.