Mechanic lands in jail for stealing lawyer’s car, forging documents

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A mechanic who stole a lawyer’s car by forging documents has been jailed for three years, after the High Criminal Appeals Court reduced his original five-year sentence.

The case began when the lawyer’s son took the car to the mechanic’s garage for repairs following an accident. The insurance company had written off the vehicle, but the lawyer chose to proceed with repairs and left the car in the mechanic’s care.

Weeks passed without any updates, and when the lawyer’s son visited the garage, he was told the car had been moved elsewhere for electrical and programming work. Each time the family asked about the vehicle, the mechanic gave vague excuses.

Growing suspicious, the family filed a legal complaint, leading to an investigation. The court found that the mechanic had lied, falsely claiming the lawyer’s son had already collected the car. To support his deception, he forged a document with a fake signature and submitted it to authorities.

He also fabricated another document, purportedly from a company, stating that the car had been taken in for programming work at the insurer’s request. The document falsely claimed the vehicle had been collected before the lawyer’s son even inquired about it. To further cover his tracks, the mechanic forged company employees’ signatures.

Prosecutors charged him with forgery, using fake documents, and theft under false pretences.

The lower court sentenced him to five years—three for forgery and using fake documents, and two for theft. However, on appeal, the sentence was reduced to three years.