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North West loan
shark trio imprisoned
3 people who operated an
extensive illegal money lending business across the North West of
England have been imprisoned following a hearing at Chester Crown
Court yesterday.
John Radford, 57 of Park Road, Great Sankey in Warrington, Paul
Holman, 35 from Redpoll Grove in Halewood, Knowsley and Sindy Hope,
50 from Castle Rise in Runcorn were convicted following a 12 day
trial of their involvement in the illegal money lending business,
between October 2010 and March 2012.
Radford was sentenced to 30 months
in prison, whilst Holman and Hope were sentenced to 10 months in
prison.
Radford was previously convicted of two firearms offences, after a
loaded revolver gun and a quantity of ammunition was uncovered
during a search of his home. He was sentenced to eight years in
prison for possession of the gun, and two years for possession of
the ammunition to be served concurrently. His sentence for illegal
money lending will run consecutively to this.
A number of other weapons including machetes, knuckle dusters and
red pepper spray were found during the warrant in March 2012. In
addition over £17,000 was seized from safes in his home.
The investigations were led by the
England Illegal Money Lending Team, working in partnership with
Cheshire Police Financial Investigation Unit, Warrington and Halton
Borough Council and Knowsley Borough Council.
On behalf of the prosecution Simon Mortimer told the court how
Radford had previously worked as a legal money lender, but allowed
his licence to lapse. He continued to unscrupulously generate
significant wealth at the expense of vulnerable people who by the
very nature of their personal and financial circumstances, had no
choice but to seek funds from him, locking them into a spiral of
never ending debt, high interest rates and no prospect of ever
concluding their dependency on him.
Radford engaged both Holman and Hope in intrinsic roles collecting
payments, brokering new and additional loans and intimidating people
who defaulted, making them equally culpable of the illegal offences.
The trio operated predominantly in the Liverpool and Halton areas
and at the point of their arrest in March 2012 were due an estimated
return in excess of £420,000. A search of their home uncovered vast
amounts of documentation relating to the illegal money lending
business.
Investigators from the England Illegal Money Lending Team analysed
the loan records uncovered from the homes of each of 3 defendants
and saw that in a 6 week period, they had approximately 130
customers, who owed them almost £100,000.
Radford profited greatly at the expense of others through the
illegal business. He lived in a large detached property and had 17
other properties which he rented out. He owned a total of nine
vehicles, and had more than £775,000 across five bank accounts,
despite declaring less than £250,000 as his income through
employment and renting properties since 2003.
Interest was varied with people often paying back at least double
what they had borrowed. Although some borrowers signed an agreement,
these weren't legally enforceable and they were never given any
paperwork to keep track of the loan themselves. In some cases
interest was never even discussed. Late payment fees were sometimes
added at £10 a day.
One victim who took out a loan for
£1000 was forced to pay back £60 every week for a year, meaning they
paid back more than three times what they had borrowed. As they
began to struggle with repayments, they were forced to take out
further loans from Radford, Holman and Hope to repay the first. As
the debt spiralled, they were told the owed more than £13,000.
Radford, Holman and Hope were known to threaten borrowers telling
them they were due "A hiding" or that they would take their
home or send bailiffs.
Upon sentencing His Honour Judge Trigger said:- "Radford was
as a slippery as an eel. He took every opportunity to deflect the
blame onto someone else and deliberately attempted to avoid any
scrutiny or detection. Radford was the centre of the operation, he
employed Holman and Hope to do the dirty work and go collecting on
his behalf. Even though they would earn 8% to 10% of the money
collected. In the four years between 2007 and 2011, Radford lent put
£310,000 and was due to receive double back - this was a very
profitable business. He charged £10 a day in repayment fees, and
even if they weren't enforced, they were there to cause customers
anxiety. These type of offences require a custodial sentence as a
deterrent."
Radford has been remanded in custody since his arrest and was
sentenced for the firearms offences in December.
The chairman of the National Trading Standards Board Lord Toby
Harris said:- "Loan sharks target the most vulnerable in
society and often trap them for years; even decades; with crippling
repayments, destroying lives of individuals and their families.
Trading standards are working extremely hard to tackle these
despicable criminals; the specialist Illegal Money Lending Team,
funded by the National Trading Standards Board, is making a real
difference in communities all over the country. The team provides a
safe haven enabling victims to come forward and works together with
local authority trading standards services, and other partners, to
bring loan sharks to justice. We would urge anyone in the
grips of a loan shark to call 0300 555 2222 in confidence to report
the criminal and to get help."
Cllr David Keane, executive board member for environment and public
protection at Warrington Borough Council, said:- "Loan sharks
are criminals who prey on vulnerable people such as single parents,
the elderly, or people on benefits who can suffer harassment,
threats, and spiralling financial difficulties. There are teams of
professionals up and down the country dedicated to catching them and
prevent them from taking advantage of people.
There is also help and advice available and so anyone who owes money
to a loan shark or want to help someone else, please get in touch
today."
A spokesperson for Knowsley Council said:- "These sentences
clearly show that we will not allow loan sharks to take advantage of
innocent victims in our communities. We work closely with our
partners to gather intelligence to put illegal money lenders before
the courts. Help and support is only a phone call away for people
whose lives are being made a misery by loan sharks."
Tony Quigley Head of the England Illegal Money Lending Team said:-
"This case exemplifies how we are cracking down on loan sharks, who
exploit and extort the vulnerable for their own personal gain. These
criminals are not untouchable, and can be stopped. Loan sharks
who threaten borrowers, and use intimidation and fear to force
people into repaying everything they have, will not be tolerated.
This was a large scale criminal enterprise which left people across
the North West living in fear and with little or nothing to get by
on, all because of the greed of these three individuals. If
you have been the victim of a loan shark, we can put an end to their
criminal activity. Please call:- 0300 555 2222. Lines are open 24/7
and all calls are treated in the strictest confidence"
DI Dave Blood, from Cheshire Police's Financial Investigation Unit,
said:- "Through the close working relationship between
Cheshire Police, the Illegal Money Lending Team and other agencies -
a dangerous criminal, who preyed on the vulnerable people of
Cheshire, profiting from fear and bringing misery to local
communities, has been brought to justice.
It is clear that Radford profited greatly at the expense of others
through this illegal business.
Cheshire Police are committed to continuing to work in partnership to
alleviate distress and hardship within local communities caused by
unlicensed money lenders. We will not tolerate any sort of behaviour
that has a negative effect on the quality of life of local people
and we would urge anyone with any concerns regarding illegal money
lending to seek the appropriate help and advice."
Nationally the Stop Loan Shark Project has secured 293 prosecutions
for illegal money lending and related activity, leading to 176
years' worth of custodial sentences.
The Illegal Money Lending Team have written off £40.3
million worth of illegal debt and helped over 22,000 victims.
To report
a loan shark you can call the 24/7 confidential hotline:- 0300 555 2222. |
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Steam Trains for
Children in Need
ONCE again the West Lancs.
Light Railway will be opening
especially to support the BBC Children in Need appeal. the
event takes place on Sunday, 17 November 2013, from 11:30am to
4:30pm, with 2 locomotives
in steam. We have been told that a steam hauled passenger train will depart
from the main station, approximately every 20 minutes.
"We will be offering unlimited free
rides; visitors will be invited to make a donation to Children in
Need. After this the Railway will be closed until the Santa Specials
on 14, 15, 21 and 22 December. Booking forms can be found on our
website."
said a spokesman for the railway.
The West Lancashire Light Railway is a short 2' gauge line situated
at Hesketh Bank, approximately midway between Preston and Southport.
Motive power includes several historic steam locomotives and a
remarkable collection of diesel/petrol/electric industrial
locomotives. The line runs above a former clay pit which served a
brickworks adjacent to the old West Lancashire Railway.
The Railway is open every Sunday and Bank Holiday from Easter to the
end of October, and on certain Saturdays/Sundays in December for
'Santa Specials'. Bookings for Santa Specials now being taken.
Carriages may be reserved for birthday parties. Exclusive special steamings can be arranged on days when the Railway is not open to
the public; please ask for details. 'How to drive a steam
locomotive' day courses are available by arrangement.
Free car parking on site. Hot and cold drinks available on site. We
also recommend Booths store and café, close by. The no. 2
Preston to Southport, and n. 2. Southport to Preston, bus stops outside Booths, near the entrance to the
Railway. There is an hourly bus service on Sundays.
Strictly
sensation Lisa Riley launches new book at Birkenhead
STRICTLY sensation and
popular soap star Lisa Riley met excited fans when she signed copies
of her new autobiography in Birkenhead.
The bubbly actress was at WHSmith in Pyramids Shopping Centre at
the weekend to personally launch her new autobiography, Never Judge
a Book By Its Cover, in which she tells the inspirational story of
how she used pure self-confidence to overcome prejudice in her life
both on and off screen.
Lisa, 37, from Bury, said at the signing:- "This my first time
in Birkenhead and I want to say a thank you to all those who came
out today to meet me. It's been terrific. I hope they all
really enjoy the book whether it is for themselves or a gift for
Christmas and I hope they find it a bright and breezy read but maybe
there might be a bit of Kleenex too! It is complete and utter
honesty from start to finish. People often say they see me as like
their next door neighbour, the girl from down the road, and I hope
this is what comes over in the book."
There waiting in the queue to get their book signed was Michelle
Bennett, 43, a Deputy Nursery Manager, who had travelled from
Southport especially for the signing. She said:- "I
think Lisa has got a great zest for life and she proves that
everyone can go out and follow their dreams. I loved watching her in
Strictly and she always seems like such a happy and fun person so I
just wanted to take the opportunity to come and meet her in person.
I am really interested to read her book particularly as some of my
family come from Bury so there is that connection too. I think it
will be a great read."
Derek Millar, Commercial Director for Pyramids Shopping Centre,
said:- "Lisa's visit has created a real buzz because she is
such a well-liked and well-known TV celebrity and we are delighted
she has made the trip here to meet her fans personally. As a thriving and well located shopping centre, we are well used to
welcoming big names to Pyramids Shopping Centre including Katie
Price and TOWIE's Sam Faiers to name just a couple in the last year
or so.
It is all about creating the best possible shopping experience for
our customers and we are always keen to support WH Smith when they
are offered such fantastic opportunities to host a signing by a
celebrity such as Lisa Riley."
Darren Brockbank, manager of WH Smith at Pyramids Shopping Centre,
said:- "Lisa's visit today has been a great boost for the
store and for Birkenhead. We are really grateful to her for taking
the time to come and visit our store and meet her Wirral fans. I
feel sure her book is going to be a top seller especially as we move
into the busy festive run-up to Christmas."
As one of the most popular contestants on last year's Strictly Come
Dancing with dance partner Robin Windsor, Lisa has revealed the two
stars she is rooting for in this year's show which propelled her own
successful career to even greater heights.
It has also recently been revealed
that Lisa will be the host of the arena version of the show,
Strictly Live, due to tour the country early next year.
Sharing her expert thoughts on this year's Strictly, currently being
screened to weekend audiences of millions on BBC1, she said:-
"I'm not supposed to say who I think is going to win but I can tell
you who I'm rooting for this year, and it's two of the stars,
Susannah Reid from BBC Breakfast and actor Mark Benson.
Susannah, whose professional partner on the show is Kevin Clifton,
is a very good dancer and is getting stronger and stronger as they
weeks go by.
She's really prepared to put in hours of hard work in the rehearsal
room and, as I know from last year, that counts for a lot.
The other one I'm rooting for is Mark Benson whose dance partner is Yvetta Lukosiute. He's a fellow actor who's done lots of good work
including Waterloo Road.
He's a big lad, but he's putting lots of comedic elements into his
dancing and you can see that he genuinely wants to learn as he goes
along in the competition."
Lisa said of her time on Strictly:- "I had enjoyed a pretty
successful acting career before I went into the show and was
probably best known for playing the part of Mandy Dingle, the
barmaid in Emmerdale. But it was Strictly that really gave me a new
professional springboard.
People didn't believe I could dance but I think I managed to open
quite a few eyes. I started at 88-1 and ended up at 6-1 to win. I
loved every minute of it and my dance partner Robin Windsor and I
went as far as the semi-finals.
After the TV show ended I went almost immediately into the live
version of the show and spent three months touring huge venues
across the country, dancing in front of up to 40,000 people a time.
The Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood then wrote a special dance
show for me called Strictly Confidential, which was the story of my
life from drama school to Strictly 2012 and also toured right round
the country for three months. This time I was dancing with another
top professional, Artem Chigvintsev, and thoroughly enjoyed it."
Lisa is also well known and much admired for playing feisty barmaid
Mandy Dingle in ITV soap Emmerdale.
Asked whether she would ever consider making a return to Emmerdale
as Mandy Dingle, she said:- "I had a fantastic time doing it
and met some great people.
I've been asked three times now to go back but I've always said no
because as an actor I constantly want to do new work and take on
fresh challenges."
Never Judge A Book By Its Cover is published by Orion at:- £18.99 and
as an eBook at:- £9.99.
Operation Christmas Child
Appeals for Final Push to Reach 1 Million Children with Gift-filled
Shoeboxes
SAMARITAN'S Purse is
appealing for churches, schools, businesses and individuals across
Merseyside to help make a final push towards helping them reach
their target of bringing joy and hope to one million children as
part of this year's Operation Christmas Child appeal.
After 23 years, the global efforts of Operation Christmas Child have
enabled Samaritan's Purse to reach 100 million disadvantaged
children in 156 countries. The UK operation is hoping to send
another one million gift-filled shoeboxes this year.
"We've been overwhelmed by the response of the people across
Merseyside coming together to make a difference to children who live
in some of the poorest of situations, some in refugee camps and
orphanages, some who may never have received a gift in their whole
life. Volunteers at our warehouses and Drop Off Points have
been tirelessly helping us get these precious gifts ready to send to
some of the neediest countries around the world." explains Alan Taylor, Area Coordinator for
Merseyside.
Samaritan's Purse UK Executive Director, Simon Barrington added:-
"With the 18 November deadline for people to drop off their
shoeboxes fast approaching, we need everyone to pull together, to go
the extra mile, so that children in the most difficult circumstances
will know that someone cares for them and is thinking about them
this Christmas."
Anyone wanting to know how they can be part of this year's Operation
Christmas Child should go to the campaign's
website.
On it you will find instructions on how to wrap and pack shoeboxes,
and where to take them, in time for the 18 November 2013 deadline.
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