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Convicted loan
shark ordered to pay back £110,000 or face 27 months in prison
ON Monday, 3 June 2013, a
convicted loan shark has been ordered to pay back all available
assets to the courts, following a financial investigation by the
England Illegal Money Lending Team. Gerald Daord, 53, from
Birkenhead had assets amounting to £110,000. He must pay back this
amount or face 27 months in prison as a default sentence.
Daord was investigated by the England Illegal Money Lending Team
working in partnership with Merseyside Police and Wirral Council.
Following a trial in July 2012 he was convicted of offences of
illegal money lending and money laundering and was subsequently
sentenced to 16 months in prison.
At the hearing on 3 June, Mr Joe Millington, on behalf of the
prosecution, told Liverpool Crown Court, how Daord made a total of
£175,000 over a period of almost four years through the illegal
money lending business.
His assets include 6 houses which he owns and rents out in the
Birkenhead area, valued in total between £180,000 and £200,000 with
equity at around £120,000, plus around £4500 in cash which was
seized during the investigation.
Daord was arrested in August 2011 after officers from the England
Illegal Money Lending Team executed a warrant at his home seizing
documentary records of the illegal business.
Whilst it was impossible to determine the full scale of the business
as records were scarce, 3 notebooks were seized with
records of 46 individuals and amounts.
1 example given was for a £350 loan with a return of £500, this was
calculated to be equivalent to 2752% APR.
When questioned about this Daord
told investigators he didn't see this as interest, but described it
as:- "A good drink off them" or "Gentleman's
agreements." He
never provided paperwork to his borrowers.
Daord had previously been the director of a licensed pawnbrokers
company, but the company was dissolved after failing to give records
of its accounts.
Cllr Brian Kenny, Wirral Council Cabinet member for Environment and
Sustainability, said:- "This additional action against Daord
should send out the message to other loan sharks that when the
authorities do catch up with you, the punishmentwon't end with just
a prison sentence; we'll see to it that you make no profit from
illegal money lending. Ultimately the best way to deal with people
like Daord is to take away the demand for their services. That's why
we urge people who do get into financial difficulties to resist the
temptation of money lenders. Even if you've been turned down for
lending from banks, building societies and other legal sources of
borrowing, you can consider signing up to a Credit Union. There is a
lot of free help and advice out there - a call or visit to a Council
One Stop Shop or Citizens' Advice Bureau is a good place to start.
There are also some national helplines which can advise on the best
way to tackle money worries."
Tony Quigley Head of the England Illegal Money Lending Team said:-
"Loan sharks Daord may appear to offering a community service
but are in fact exploiting their borrowers. Through proceeds of
crime legislation we are stripping offenders of their ill-gotten
gains and sending a clear message that crime doesn't pay. If you are
struggling financially loan sharks are never the answer, but if you
or someone you know is already involved with a loan shark, get in
touch. Our hotline is open 24/7 on:- 0300 555 2222 and all calls are
treated in the strictest confidence."
Nationally the Stop Loan Shark Project has secured 235 prosecutions
for illegal money lending and related activity, leading to more than
157 years worth of custodial sentences. They have written off £40.3
million worth of illegal debt and helped over 20,000 victims.
To report a loan shark call the 24/7 confidential hotline:- 0300 555
2222.
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AMBULANCE
WARNING AS TEMPERATURES RISE
THE North West Ambulance
Service is asking the public to take extra care as the region
experiences its f1st real hot spell of the year and says it is
expecting a surge in 999 calls over the coming weekend as
temperatures are set to rise. The majority of the 999 calls the
Trust receives are for genuinely ill people and during periods of
hot weather, there is a marked increase in the number of people
experiencing respiratory problems, such as asthma. But many of the
incidents the Trust is called to can be easily avoided.
Director of Emergency Services, Derek Cartwright explains:-
"We all want to enjoy the warm weather but no-one wants to spend a
warm evening in an accident and emergency department. During the
summer, we traditionally see a rise in the number of cases such as
assaults and falls due to alcohol misuse, accidents with barbecues
and children who go swimming in lakes and rivers, so we would urge
people to think carefully about what they are doing. Our services
are urgently needed by those who are seriously ill or have
life-threatening conditions and the public can help us by not
calling 999 unless it is a serious emergency and by taking care of
themselves and others."
The Trust has issued some advice which it hopes will help avoid
accidents which often occur during the summer months:-
► If you are thinking of doing a spot of gardening at the weekend,
check your tools are in good working order and especially take care
when using power tools or climbing ladders.
► Alternate alcoholic drinks with water or soft drinks – in the heat
you will be dehydrated and alcohol makes that worse.
► Wear appropriate sun protection to avoid sunburn and sunstroke –
remember hats and cover up children as much as possible. NEVER leave
a child in a car in the sun for any length of time.
► Don't go swimming in lakes, rivers, canals or reservoirs – some
have unseen currents which can pull you under and the water is a lot
colder than you think/would expect.
► Keep your children safe when they are playing on scooters and
bikes – provide them with safety headwear to avoid a head injury
should they fall.
► Barbecues and alcohol do not mix! Never use an accelerant to light
the barbecue and remember the coals are hot for a long time after
they have gone out.
Derek adds:- "The advice may seem straightforward but these are
the types of avoidable accidents we see every day during the hot
weather, especially on long weekends such as the Bank Holiday next
week when people have extra time off work. By keeping safe, we can
all enjoy the Summer, however, brief it may be, and we can ensure
that those who really need our help can receive a timely response."
Liverpool City
Region collective switch offers are now in!
OVER 4,500 residents have
joined the Liverpool City Region Collective Switch to get a better
deal on their energy bills. Offers are now in from energy suppliers
and there's something for everyone. Householders are invited to have
a look at the offers and see how much they could save. The level of
response enabled scheme switching partner, energyhelpline to
negotiate several different deals to suit the different needs of the
whole group. Offers were made by Scottish Power, Npower,
The Co-operative Energy and Good Energy and include a variable
tariff; a range of fixed tariffs with options to fix for 1, 2 or 3
years; a green tariff; an offer for customers paying by quarterly
billing, and an offer for customers with prepayment meters. Some of
these are early bird offers which end on Friday, 7 June 2013. All
other offers end on Friday, 14 June 2013. The Mayor of
Liverpool, Joe Anderson, who leads on low carbon issues for the City
Region, said:- "We're really pleased with the level of
response we've had to the scheme. This is an opportunity for a lot
of people in the Liverpool City Region to save money on their energy
bills, and I hope that everyone who joined the scheme is able to
benefit from one of the offers." There's still time to
join the collective switch until the offers close on 14 June 2013.
You can see the offers as part of a full market comparison, and
generate a personalised quotation to see how much you could save, by
visiting:-
LCRenergyswitch.co.uk.
Alternatively, you can call energy helpline on:- 0800 902 0415 or
01622 845 594 to speak to an expert energy advisor. |
