Canoe fraudster John Darwin order to surrender £40,000 to authorities – The Guardian

Posted May 29th, 2014 in fraud, news, pensions, proceeds of crime by michael

‘John Darwin, who faked his own death in a canoeing accident, has been ordered to pay a £40,000 lump sum to the authorities after two of his pensions matured.’

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The Guardian, 29th May 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Distinctive behaviour – New Law Journal

Posted May 28th, 2014 in disclosure, divorce, fraud, news by sally

‘Kirstie Gibson considers allegations of non-disclosure, misconduct & adverse inferences.’

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New Law Journal, 23rd May 2014

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

New sentencing guidelines bring increased focus to the impact of fraud on victims – Sentencing Council

Posted May 28th, 2014 in bribery, fraud, money laundering, news, sentencing by sally

‘The Sentencing Council has published a new guideline for how people convicted of fraud, money laundering and bribery should be sentenced.’

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Sentencing Council, 23rd May 2014

Source: www.sentencingcouncil.judiciary.gov.uk

Man behind Newzbin operations found liable for copyright infringement on the sites – OUT-LAW.com

Posted May 27th, 2014 in conspiracy, copyright, fraud, intellectual property, internet, news by sally

‘The High Court has found a man liable for copyright infringement carried out on the file sharing Newzbin websites and ruled that he also part of a conspiracy to infringe copyrights and defraud film studios.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 23rd May 2014

Source: www.out-law.com

Courts to issue tougher sentences to convicted fraudsters from October – The Independent

Posted May 23rd, 2014 in fraud, news, sentencing by sally

‘Cowboy builders who prey on the elderly and vulnerable will face stiffer sentences as a result of new guidelines released by the Sentencing Council today. The trauma suffered by the victims of unscrupulous builders and other fraudsters is being placed at the heart of the guidelines being given to judges and magistrates in England and Wales.’

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The Independent, 23rd May 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

FCA succeeds in reversing stay in Operation Cotton trial – The Lawyer

Posted May 22nd, 2014 in appeals, financial regulation, fraud, news, stay of proceedings, trials by sally

‘The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has won its appeal against the stay in the high-cost fraud trial known as Operation Cotton, with the Court of Appeal (CoA) ruling that proceedings should resume.’

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The Lawyer, 21st May 2014

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Fraud trial legal aid ruling overturned by appeal court – The Guardian

Posted May 21st, 2014 in appeals, barristers, budgets, costs, fraud, judges, legal aid, legal representation, news by tracey

‘A £4.5m fraud trial halted due to disputes over legal aid cuts has been restarted after the court of appeal ruled that the defendants could receive a fair trial.’

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The Guardian, 21st May 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Conwoman who used the police to warn off a journalist is jailed – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 20th, 2014 in fraud, news, recidivists, sentencing by sally

‘Neelam Desai is jailed for fraud after using the police to warn off journalist Gareth Davies who was investigating her business dealings.’

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Daily Telegraph, 19th May 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Blue badge fraud prosecutions ‘double over three years’ – BBC News

‘Blue badge fraud prosecutions have doubled over three years, figures from English councils have revealed.’

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BBC News, 17th May 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal aid cuts: justice secretary’s lawyers intervene over abandoned case – The Guardian

‘Lawyers for the justice secretary, Chris Grayling, have intervened in an emergency appeal court hearing in an attempt to resolve a dispute over legal aid cuts that has halted all complex fraud trials.’

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The Guardian, 13th May 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Curry house owner jailed after falsely claiming £41,000 benefits which wife spent on designer clothing – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 12th, 2014 in benefits, fraud, news, sentencing by sally

‘Mohammed Chowdhury claimed he only worked 16 hours a week as a waiter but owned an Essex tandoori restaurant which made £400,000 a year.’

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Daily Telegraph, 12th May 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Barnes (as former Court Appointed Receiver) (Appellant) v The Eastenders Group and another (Respondents) – Supreme Court

Barnes (as former Court Appointed Receiver) (Appellant) v The Eastenders Group and another (Respondents) [2014] UKSC 26 (YouTube)

Supreme Court, 8th May 2014

Source: www.youtube.com/user/UKSupremeCourt

City fraud cases on brink of collapse in growing row over legal aid cuts – The Guardian

‘The biggest City fraud cases since the crash of 2008 are close to collapsing because of the government’s cuts to legal aid. The refusal of barristers to work at the government’s new low rates has already led to Judge Anthony Leonard throwing out charges against five men accused of conning investors out of their savings by selling them land at grotesquely inflated prices.’

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The Guardian, 10th May 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Serious fraud trial abandoned because of cuts to legal aid for defence representation – UK Human Rights Blog

‘A judge has halted a serious fraud trial after defendants claimed they could not get adequate representation because cuts to legal aid, and as a result they would not get a fair trial under common law or Article 6 of the Convention. This case could be the first of a number of reversals following the government’s legal aid reforms with seven further trials due to start before September 2015 involving 28 defendants in similar positions.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 6th May 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Top police officer blames £11,000 crime spree on brain injury – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 6th, 2014 in crime, fraud, news, personal injuries, police by tracey

‘A senior police officer who carried out a series of frauds on high street stores and travel companies blamed her crime spree on a brain injury as she was jailed for two and a half years.’

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Daily Telegraph, 6th May 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Postman took millions meant for City firms – BBC News

Posted May 6th, 2014 in fraud, news, postal service, sentencing, theft by tracey

‘Ajaz Budi, 33, wept uncontrollably as he was sentenced at the Old Bailey for stealing cheques ranging from £50 to £110,000 at Mount Pleasant, London.’

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BBC News, 2nd May 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Operation Cotton – what next? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

‘When does the same Government that decides to prosecute someone have an obligation to ensure that that individual has representation? That was the question that HHJ Leonard had to answer at Southwark Crown Court on 1 May 2014. The case is called “Operation Cotton” and, as the argument proceeded, featured five legally aided defendants. The argument got more media attention this week than it perhaps otherwise would because the legally aided defendants were represented by Alexander Cameron QC, who happens to be the brother of the Prime Minister (Cameron QC was acting for free, which his brother would surely applaud as an example of the “Big Society” in action).’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 1st May 2014

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Barristers’ legal aid rebellion ‘risks collapse’ of top fraud cases – The Guardian

Posted May 2nd, 2014 in barristers, budgets, fees, fraud, legal aid, news, trials by tracey

‘A series of high-profile fraud prosecutions are at risk of collapse after a crown court judge halted a trial because specialist barristers are refusing to represent defendants in protest at 30% cuts in legal aid fees.’

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The Guardian, 1st May 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Serious fraud trial halted amid legal row – BBC News

Posted May 1st, 2014 in barristers, fraud, legal aid, legal representation, news, trials by sally

‘A judge has halted a serious fraud trial after defendants claimed they could not get adequate representation because of cuts to legal aid.’

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BBC News, 1st May 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Women in burial and fraud case must repay £90,000 – BBC News

‘Two women who were jailed after burying a man in a garden and claiming his benefits have been ordered to repay almost £90,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act.’

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BBC News, 28th April 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk