Introduction – A Double Life in the Motor Trade
Imagine buying a used car. You trust the dealer. You check the mileage. It looks clean. You hand over your money.
But what if the number on that dashboard was a lie?
What if the person selling you the car had already been caught hiding money from the government — over a million euros of it — in a secret bank account?
This is not a hypothetical. This is the story of Samuel Campbell, a Donegal car dealer who ran a business called The Car Crew in Sandyford, Dublin 18.
He was caught twice.
Once by the Revenue Commissioners, who discovered he had been hiding income in an undeclared Ulster Bank account. The total tax debt? €1.1 million.
Once by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) , who discovered he had lied to a customer about a car’s mileage — a classic “clocking” offence that left a buyer deceived and out of pocket.
And when a judge tried to let him walk free with a suspended sentence for the tax fraud, the Director of Public Prosecutions stepped in and said: Not this time.
Here is the full story of Samuel Campbell — a car dealer who learned that some odometers can be turned back, but the law cannot.
Who Is Samuel Campbell? The Man Behind the Wheel
Samuel Campbell (also known as Sam Campbell) is not a faceless corporation. He is a real person — a self-employed car dealer from Creeslough, Co. Donegal.
The Court of Appeal once described him as having a “very successful business” . He is the director of Samuel Campbell Limited, a company registered at his family home in Donegal. The same home that appears in official records alongside two phone numbers: a landline and a mobile.
Company details:
| Field | Information |
|---|---|
| Company Name | SAMUEL CAMPBELL LIMITED |
| Company Number | 338056 |
| Status | Normal (active) |
| Registered Address | Ards View, Cloonmore, Creeslough, Co. Donegal |
| Landline | [Redacted] |
| Mobile | [Redacted] |
🔗 Source: Solocheck – Samuel Campbell Limited (Company No. 338056)
Those phone numbers would later become a crucial piece of evidence — linking him to a separate company, a separate address, and a separate set of legal troubles.
Part 1: The Customer Who Was Lied To – Mileage Fraud at The Car Crew
Let us start with the customer.
In early 2019, someone walked into The Car Crew at 4-5 Burton Hall Road, Sandyford, Dublin 18. They were looking for a used car. They found one. The mileage looked good. The price was agreed.
But the number on the dashboard was false.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) launched an investigation. What they found was damning: Sam Campbell, trading as The Car Crew, had provided false information to a consumer about a vehicle’s mileage.
This was not a simple misunderstanding. This was a misleading commercial practice — a violation of the Consumer Protection Act 2007. The kind of offence that destroys trust between buyer and seller.
On 9 April 2019, the CCPC lowered the boom. They served a formal Compliance Notice on Sam Campbell. The notice demanded that he:
- Cease all misleading practices immediately
- Provide true and accurate information to every customer
- Carry out proper due diligence on every car he sold
- Keep records for three years
The official CCPC record reads:
*”Sam Campbell, The Car Crew, 4-5 Burton Hall Road, Sandyford, Dublin 18… On 9 April 2019, the CCPC served a Compliance Notice on Sam Campbell after an investigation established the trader had provided false information to the consumer in relation the motor vehicle’s mileage.”*
🔗 Source: CCPC Consumer Protection List 2019, p.3
The CCPC’s own Annual Report 2019 confirmed the action, listing “Sam Campbell, trading as the Car Crew” among the traders who had been caught red-handed.
🔗 Source: CCPC Annual Report 2019, p.20
Part 2: The Hidden Bank Account – A €1.1 Million Tax Secret
Now, rewind the clock. Before the mileage fraud, before the Compliance Notice, there was a much bigger secret.
In 2004, Samuel Campbell registered for VAT as a self-employed car dealer. He told the Revenue Commissioners about one bank account — an AIB account. That was all they needed to know.
Except it was a lie.
Campbell had a second bank account — this time with Ulster Bank — that he never disclosed. For years, he channeled income through this hidden account, keeping it invisible to Revenue.
He might have gotten away with it.
But in 2005, Revenue launched a routine audit. They asked questions. Campbell gave answers. But something felt wrong.
Revenue officials dug deeper. They obtained statements directly from Ulster Bank. The truth came pouring out.
The Damage:
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Unpaid Income Tax & VAT | ~€367,000 |
| Interest & Penalties | ~€733,000 |
| Total owed to Revenue | €1.1 MILLION |
Campbell had not just made a mistake. He had deliberately concealed income — and when investigators came knocking, he tried to cover his tracks with altered bank statements.
🔗 Source: Court of Appeal Judgment – DPP v Campbell [2014] IECA 15
Part 3: The Suspended Sentence – And Why the DPP Said No
In September 2013, Campbell pleaded guilty to nine counts of revenue offences. He stood before a judge in the Circuit Court.
The judge looked at his case — the hidden account, the altered statements, the €1.1 million debt — and handed down a sentence of three years.
But then the judge did something surprising. He suspended the entire sentence.
Campbell walked free.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) was not having it. They appealed to the Court of Appeal, arguing that the sentence was unduly lenient.
The Court of Appeal agreed.
The judges looked at the evidence — the deliberate concealment, the obstruction of Revenue investigators — and said the original judge had made an error in principle.
They overturned the suspended sentence. In its place, they imposed 12 months in custody.
The message was clear: Tax evasion, especially when paired with lies and obstruction, will land you in prison.
🔗 Source: Court of Appeal Judgment – DPP v Campbell [2014] IECA 15
Part 4: The Phone Number That Tells the Real Story
Here is where the story gets even more interesting.
The website for The Car Crew — thecarcrew.ie — was registered in December 2015 . The official WHOIS record shows the owner as MYBROOK MOTORS LIMITED.
🔗 Source: WHOIS Record – thecarcrew.ie
But here is the twist. The phone number for Mybrook Motors Limited is (01) 276 1779 .
That is the same phone number associated with The Car Crew.
And remember the CCPC? On the same day they went after Sam Campbell — 9 April 2019 — they also served a Compliance Notice on Mybrook Motors Limited for the exact same offence: mileage fraud.
🔗 Source: CCPC Consumer Protection List 2019, p.4
Same phone number. Same offence. Same day. Different addresses.
Coincidence? You be the judge.
Part 5: The Corporate Web – Directors, Secretaries, and a Missing Link
Global Database records show that Mybrook Motors Limited has three key people:
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Graham Beesley | Director |
| Vivienne McGuinness | Director |
| Tony Campbell | Company Secretary |
🔗 Source: Global Database – Mybrook Motors Limited
A search of the official CRO database for “Tony Campbell” or “Anthony Campbell” returns no director links to Samuel Campbell Limited.
That means Sam Campbell was acting as an individual trader when he misled that customer about the car’s mileage. No corporate shield. No layers of protection. Just one man, one business, and one very costly lie.
Timeline: A Decade of Deception
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2004-2014 | Campbell conceals Ulster Bank account from Revenue; total tax debt €1.1m | Court of Appeal Judgment |
| December 2015 | Domain thecarcrew.ie registered to Mybrook Motors Limited | WHOIS Record |
| September 2013 | Campbell pleads guilty; receives fully suspended sentence | Court of Appeal Judgment |
| December 2014 | DPP wins appeal; Court of Appeal imposes 12 months custody | Court of Appeal Judgment |
| 9 April 2019 | CCPC serves Compliance Notice on Sam Campbell (The Car Crew) for mileage fraud | CCPC List 2019, p.3 |
| 9 April 2019 | CCPC serves separate Compliance Notice on Mybrook Motors Limited for mileage fraud | CCPC List 2019, p.4 |
| 2025-2026 | Samuel Campbell Limited remains active, filing annual accounts | Solocheck – Samuel Campbell Ltd |
The Phone Number Link – The Smoking Gun
| Entity | Phone Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Mybrook Motors Limited | (01) 276 1779 | Public business listing |
| The Car Crew | (01) 276 1779 | Shared with Mybrook Motors Limited |
| Samuel Campbell Limited (Donegal) | [Redacted] | Solocheck |
| Samuel Campbell Limited (Mobile) | [Redacted] | Solocheck |
“Samuel Campbell Limited is registered as a construction company, though its director, Samuel Campbell, has been convicted of tax evasion arising from his activities as a car dealer.”
The shared phone number is the thread that ties it all together.
Why This Story Matters – A Warning to Every Car Buyer
Samuel Campbell is not a one-off. He is a cautionary tale.
To car buyers: Always check a vehicle’s history independently. Do not trust the dashboard. Do not trust the dealer’s word. The CCPC had to step in because one customer was lied to — but how many others never found out?
To traders: The CCPC is watching. Revenue is watching. And if you think a suspended sentence means you are safe, remember: the DPP appealed, and the Court of Appeal sent Campbell to prison.
To the public: This is what Watchdog Witness exists to expose. A car dealer who hid money from the government and lied to a customer about a car’s mileage. Caught twice. Convicted once. And still trading.
Sources – Click to Verify
| Source | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| CCPC Consumer Protection List 2019 | Sam Campbell, The Car Crew (p.3) | View PDF |
| CCPC Consumer Protection List 2019 | Mybrook Motors Limited (p.4) | View PDF |
| CCPC Annual Report 2019 | Reference to Compliance Notices (p.20) | View PDF |
| Court of Appeal Judgment | DPP v Samuel Campbell [2014] IECA 15 | View on vLex |
| Solocheck | Samuel Campbell Limited (Company No. 338056) | View on Solocheck |
| WHOIS Record | thecarcrew.ie domain registration | View WHOIS |
| Global Database | Mybrook Motors Limited company profile | View Profile |
Disclaimer
Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available court records, CCPC enforcement documents, CRO records (via Solocheck), WHOIS data, and Global Database listings. All individuals are presumed innocent of any criminal wrongdoing unless proven otherwise in a court of law. The tax conviction (DPP v Campbell [2014] IECA 15) is a matter of public record. The CCPC Compliance Notice is an enforcement action, not a criminal conviction. This article does not constitute legal advice and is provided for informational and journalistic purposes only. Watchdog Witness does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of third-party sources cited. This article may be updated as further information becomes available.
“Personal mobile numbers have been redacted to comply with data protection principles. Only business contact information is published.”
Watchdog Witness will continue to track such cases. If you’ve been the victim of a professional who cut corners — financially or otherwise — [contact us or share your story].
About The Author
