Con artist who promised to provide secure airport parking then left customers’ cars in muddy field and public car parks avoids jail
Shagufta Khan, 42, treated her customers 'with contempt' as thousands complained of their cars being left filthy
A CON woman who tricked business travellers and holidaymakers with promises of safe and secure airport parking was spared jail.
Shagufta Khan, 42, treated her customers with contempt, a judge told her.
She admitted misleading people flying form Gatwick airport on the parking website she ran.
Cars were parked in muddy fields, lay-bys and on streets near the airport.
Khan, from Crawley, who was the only director of Best Meet and Greet Ltd, was sentenced to eight months in jail, suspended for 12 months and ordered to do 50 hours community service.
The website used fake testimonials to entice customers, Lewes Crown Court at Hove heard.
Khan admitted misleading people.
The court heard she was probably not the mastermind behind the scheme to con travellers.
Khan's company sub-contracted the parking of the cars to Quality Parking, but began receiving complaints from customers about the standards of the service.
West Sussex Trading Standards also received complaints and began investigating Best Meet, carrying out a test purchase operation in August.
When this began, the sub-contract had been given to another company, Hello Gatwick, after Best Meet axed Quality Parking because of the complaints, the court heard.
However, the problems persisted.
Trading Standards was told the car was parked in a secure compound with no public access allowed, was patrolled 24/7 and monitored with CCTV cameras.
Richard Heller, prosecuting, said: "Despite these claims, Trading Standards tracked it to the RPC car park in Crawley.
"There were no security measures in place, such as gates or fences.
"The car was unlocked and one door had not been shut properly.
"Officers returned to the RPC the next day and drove away in the car unchallenged."
One Best Meet user said the cars “looked like they had been rallying”.
They are just a few of the 1,300-odd victims who made up the £100,000 that was made over the summer.
Khan, 42, who had no business experience, had to give away about 70 per cent of the profit to Quality Parking.
The court heard she had been working with Usman Hafeez, who made the business decisions from his home in Dubai.
But Hafeez was not in any way registered on the company's board.
Khan pleaded guilty to engaging in unfair and misleading commercial practice on the first day of her trial on Monday.
Mr Heller asked District Judge Roger Chapple to order Khan to pay costs of £16,437 — but this was dismissed as she has no means to pay it.
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Khan moved to the UK from Pakistan in 2001 and did not have a job until 2013, when she was employed by her uncle to do admin work. She is currently receiving benefits.
Judge Chapple gave Khan full credit for her early guilty plea, suspending her sentence and ordering her to carry out 50 hours of unpaid work.
Khan was disqualified from acting as a director for any company for the next five years.
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