A DISABLED army veteran has been forced to sleep in his car with all his belongings after a cruel stranger stole his keys.
Mark Johannsen called out a mobile mechanic after breaking down just off a roundabout opposite Nottingham City Hospital.
The 63-year-old former marine said the ‘mechanic’, however, drove off with his keys and demanded he fork out hundreds of pounds to get them back.
Mark called the police who he claims are investigating the incident and have covered his car in crime scene tape.
But not wanting to abandon the vehicle with all of his things inside, and having nowhere else to go, he slept in it for a week before an Army charity offered to pay for a hotel.
He told The Sun: “I was sleeping in the car for a week because I had nowhere to go.
“It’s been pretty rough. I put signs on the car explaining what had happened.
“People were stopping and giving me money. It’s been a nightmare.”
Mark was planning to leave Nottingham and had packed his Range Rover Sport full of his stuff to head back to East Anglia on the day he was conned.
Due to a faulty gauge he didn’t realise his fuel tank was almost empty as he headed to a petrol station before grinding to a halt.
Thanks to other motorists, he was able to get the car to the side of the road and was even given a lift to and from the station to fill up a can with diesel.
But after filling up, the car wouldn’t start and so Mark called out a mobile mechanic he found via Google.
He described the man who came out as grumpy and after spraying hairspray into the airbox to try start the engine, he said he’d need to get a battery jump starter pack.
Mark says he took his car keys and never came back.
“While he was away he started ringing me demanding money,” Mark explained.
“He said if you don’t do it, I’m having your car towed and you’ll have to pay a release fee.
“I said you haven’t even done the job yet. The phone went dead and he didn’t turn up.
“He kept the keys. The car’s been sitting in the same place for two weeks.”
Mark called 999 and filed a police report.
“I said there’s a guy threatening to tow my car away and he hasn’t even done the job,” he said.
Mark said the thief was initially sending him mocking messages saying “you should’ve paid the money when you had the opportunity”, “stop phoning me you f****** w*****” and “hope you’re enjoying recovering your car, bro”, but has since gone quiet.
Prior to paying £450 for a new key, he was sleeping in the car knowing at some point the thief could come back and gain access to it.
“I can’t lock it from the outside, so I spent a week with the car,” he said.
“Somebody has got the key so you can lock the door internally but someone could come and unlock the door.”
Mark served for eight years in the military before moving into security, but due to back issues is currently claiming disability benefits.
His movement is limited and he struggles to walk for extended periods.
The Sun has contacted Nottinghamshire Police for comment.
