Two Leamington men helped cruel fraudsters target people who had already lost large sums of money through dodgy time-share schemes

Two Leamington men allowed their bank accounts to be used by cruel fraudsters who targeted people who had already lost large sums of money through dodgy time-share schemes.

Craig Butcher and James Newman both appeared at Warwick Crown Court after pleading guilty to being concerned in the realisation of criminal property.

But after the judge had criticised the five-year delay since the offences were committed, Newman (34) of Masters Road, Leamington, was given a conditional discharge for three years.

Butcher (39) of High Street, Leamington, who had been more involved, was sentenced to eight months in prison suspended for 12 months and ordered to pay £7,200 in compensation.

Prosecutor Andrew Wallace said: “They received money into their account which had been obtained through fraud from victims who were trying to recover money from dodgy time-shares.”

He explained that the frauds originated in Spain, where people who were desperate to recover money they had invested in the time-share schemes were targeted by other conmen.

Six victims who made payments which went through the two men’s accounts had been contacted by fraudsters claiming to be acting for solicitors who could take action to recover their lost investments.

But those victims were among the many people who were then tricked into paying large fees what they believed was the solicitor’s bank account.

In fact Butcher and Newman were just two of a number of people who allowed the fraudsters to use their bank account details in return for a ten per cent cut of the money paid in.

And of the victims, Mr Wallace commented: “They were desperate enough to throw good money after bad, to invest money in what they thought were legal fees.”

He said that Newman had a single payment of £1,495 into his account in May 2016.

But nine payments totalling £19,649 had gone into Butcher’s account between May 2016 and November 2017, including £747 from a Mr Lloyd who, with the time-share and the fraud had ended up losing around £20,000.

Another victim said he was only just getting back to normal with his finances, having had to borrow from relatives, having taken out numerous loans which he was still paying back.

And a third, a retired man, said he was paying £170 a month over ten years to pay off his debt.

Judge Sylvia de Bertodano commented: “We are talking about offences which happened five-plus years ago. How has it taken so long to get here?”

Mr Wallace responded: “There were a large number of complainants, but I don’t know why it took from 2017 to 2021 to get to court.”

Charles Crinion, for Butcher, pointed out he was of previous good character and works as a carpenter earning £5-700 a month gross.

Thomas Duggan, for Newman, said he suffers from autism, anxiety and learning difficulties, and having the offence hanging over him ‘has weighed on his mind for a long time.’

Sentencing the two, Judge de Bertodano told them: “You are here because of a really unpleasant fraud that was perpetrated against people who were already desperate because they had already been defrauded by time-share schemes.

“You had nothing to do with that, and neither did the people you were in league with.

“But what you both did was lent your legitimate bank accounts to people to use in this fraud – and the fact is that unless they have legitimate accounts like yours, they cannot get away with this sort of offending.

“The result is that these people who were already desperate were tricked into losing more money.

“But we are now five years on from these offences. I can’t tell you why it has taken so long to get here, and it makes the court’s job considerably more difficult.”