Legal News

A managing director of refrigeration business firm who lived the high life of country gentlemen with the money he stole from his company, while his staff was facing sack was ordered to pay back more than £400,000.
Colin Fell had been convicted for fraud had started a bogus PR and advertising firm to divert money into his own accounts and spent the money for renovating his half a million pound farmhouse, luxury holidays and private schooling for his two children.
The 54 year old has a £527,000 home on moorland near Rawtenstall, Lancashire which include stables, horses and a fleet of quad bikes.
The extensive thefts forced the owners of the refrigeration firm to make stringent cost cutting and ultimately led to the majority of the staff being made redundant.
Mr Fell was given six months to pay back over £400,000 at Liverpool Crown Court today.
A total of £560,000 went missing from the international commercial refrigeration firm Norpe UK.
After the fraud was discovered Fell tried to frame a colleague claiming that the senior person knew of his illicit activities.
Fell of Roe Green, Salford, was caught after Norpe UK made an internal investigation which exposed the ghost firms which had invoiced Norpe for non-existent advertising and promotional campaigns.
It also emerged that Mr Fell had already served time for a £1m fraud in the eighties for which he served four years.
He maintained his innocence until his trial in June 2011 at Manchester Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to seven counts of theft on the first day. He admitted stealing £390,000 between 2003 and 2006 Mr Fell was jailed for four-and-a-half years at Manchester Crown Court. Allegations relating to another £170,000 were not proceeded with.
Liverpool Crown Court ruled today that he was to be was given six months to pay back £410,092.29 under the Proceeds of Crime Act or face another four years in jail.
Greater Manchester Police said the amount took into account the loss of revenue for the company on the stolen proceeds.
Passing sentence upon Fell Judge Clement Goldstone QC said that his was a massive breach of trust. He told Fell that he missed a golden opportunity to get back his life and career after his past life and yet he abused it