Jason Murray: Dishonest Logan mechanic cops another $100k fine

A Logan motor parts dealer and his company have been ordered to pay over $100,000 in fines and restitution after angry customers paid him for engines but did not receive them.

A Logan motor parts dealer and his company have been ordered to pay over $100,000 in fines and restitution after angry customers paid him for engines but did not receive them.

Jason Paul Murray, 51, and his company, J.P. & K.M. Murray Pty Ltd (JPKM), trading as Brisbane Motor Imports at Slacks Creek, pleaded guilty in Beenleigh Magistrates Court today to eight charges of accepting payment and failing to supply goods or services within a reasonable time or specified period.

Jason Paul Murray leaving Beenleigh court.

As a result, Mr Murray was fined $50,000, his company was fined $20,000, and he was ordered to pay $34,000 in compensation to affected consumers.

The court heard the Slacks Creek mechanic had a history of similar offending.

In 2019, the courts ordered him to pay $101,000 in fines and restitution for accepting payment and failing to supply goods.

Magistrate Terry Duroux said the more recent spate of offending relates to his failure to supply various engines between March 2019 and July 2020.

“Things were souring, we had this horrible Covid thing occurring and I accept that to be the case but at the end of the day sir the excuses and the run around that people were given is not acceptable,” Magistrate Duroux said.

“Prosecutions say when consumers requested a refund you agreed to a refund but would provide various excuses as to why the funds had not been transferred.”

However, Magistrate Duroux did commend Murray for co-operating with the Office of Fair Trading and now taking steps to reimburse the customers who were left out of pocket.

Murray told the court he was doing his best to get his business back to what it once was.

“About four years ago we lost a lot of money to an overseas supplier and that has caused me a lot of problems,” he said.

“I want to stay. I’ve been going 12 years and I want to keep going and give everybody back their money.”

“I didn’t handle things properly but I’m trying.”

A conviction was recorded and he was ordered to pay five separate amounts of compensation to affected customers.