A Wiltshire man has admitted defrauding victims out of hundreds of thousands of pounds while working as a horsebox distributor.
Benjamin Ambrose, 44, of Swindon, appeared at Swindon Crown Court on Thursday 2nd April, where he pleaded guilty to three counts of theft, five counts of fraud and one offence under the Road Traffic Act.
He has been released on bail ahead of sentencing, which is due to take place on Tuesday 15th September.
Ambrose previously traded as Wiltshire Horsebox Hire and operated a company called Bloomfields Horseboxes (South) Ltd.
An investigation found he had taken large sums of money from customers for bespoke horseboxes that were never delivered, while misleading buyers about delays and progress.
In some cases, victims paid tens of thousands of pounds for builds that were not underway, while others were left out of pocket after entrusting him to sell horseboxes or chassis on their behalf.
One buyer was also told after purchase that their horsebox was subject to an existing finance agreement.
Wiltshire Police said the offences resulted in losses amounting to hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Detective Constable Melissa Pope said the case had caused both financial and emotional harm to victims.
“Ambrose was a prolific liar which has left his victims tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket,” she said.
“His deceit has had huge, long-term impacts on the victims. While there is the considerable financial impact of his crimes, the emotional toll can’t be understated.”
The case will now proceed to sentencing later this year.
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