Lawyers, bank officer jailed over dud cheques
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A bank official and four others were jailed today for their part in an £11.7 million cheque conspiracy involving dozens of British companies.
Barclays Bank loans adviser Elizabeth Lockwood repeatedly betrayed her bosses after being "corrupted" and recruited to the nation-wide fraud by businessman Richard Thorpe.
The "vital" and "highly confidential" inside information about company accounts, which she passed to the former nightclub owner, enabled scores of cheques to be forged, money laundered and funds channelled through a Swiss bank.
The gang got away with nearly £2.4 million, and hardly any of it has been recovered.
Lockwood, 36, of Gresham Close, Bexley, Kent, who was found guilty with Thorpe of four counts of conspiracy to defraud between January 1991 and April 1992, was jailed for 15 months and ordered to pay £700 compensation.
Snaresbrook Crown Court judge Owen Stable QC said that to cover up her "very grave" breaches of trust during the 14-month swindle, she had told "lie upon lie upon lie".
Thorpe was sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment and ordered to pay £95,000 with a further two years in default.
Also jailed was Southampton solicitor Alexander Nicholls, who was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud.
The 50-year-old lawyer of Porteous Crescent, Chandler's Ford, Eastleigh, Hants, who helped process a £417,123 cheque through a client's account, received an 18-month sentence.
A second solicitor, Leslie Burke, 51, of Broken Gate Lane, Denham, Buckinghamshire, who was convicted of attempting to obtain £235,000 by deception from a company's account, was sent to prison for a year.
The judge told Nicholls and Burke that dishonest solicitorswere "a curse to the legal profession and society at large."
A fifth defendant, businessman Andrew Boyd, 55, of James Avenue, Dagenham, Essex, also convicted of conspiracy to defraud, was jailed for eight months and ordered to pay £5,000 compensation.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments