Mechanic sentenced to community order for falsifying MOT on car that killed three in Cardiff

Cardiff Magistrates’ Court handed Neil John Lewis a 12-month community order after he admitted to falsifying an MOT for a vehicle that later crashed in St Mellons, resulting in three fatalities. Lewis, who had run G and J Motors for 21 years, surrendered his testing certificate voluntarily following the incident. The car, previously involved in a Scottish crash, failed its February MOT due to seatbelt and air-bag warnings, yet Lewis retested it two weeks later and claimed the faults were resolved.

The vehicle was purchased at auction by a friend of victim Rafel Jeanne, who was driving when the crash occurred in March 2023, leaving five occupants, three of whom died after being missing for 46 hours. The court noted Lewis’s long industry experience but called his actions a serious breach, imposing 100 hours of unpaid work, a £185 surcharge and £114 costs, while characterising the offence as a solitary lapse without financial motive. Families of the victims expressed anger at the sentencing, though none attended the hearing.