The several defendants were convicted of involvement in a conspiracy to fund a very substantial property portfolio by deceiving mortgage lenders. They said that the evidence of an expert witness was biasd and that they had not been allowed to put before the court evidence that she had been criticised for bias elsewhere.
Held: The evidence did not constitute evidence of bad character within the meaning of section 98 and section 112. The appeals against conviction were rejected. The sentence was a proportionate reflection of the seriousness of his offending over a substantial period of time. Accordingly the appeal against sentence is dismissed. An appeal by the wife of one was successful in reducing her sentence to 5 years imprisonment.
Pitchford LJ, Openshaw J, Deberah Taylor HHJ
[2014] EWCA Crim 1762, [2014] WLR(D) 319
Bailii, WLRD
Criminal Justice Act 2003 98 100 112(1), Criminal Justice Act 1987 12
England and Wales
Criminal Evidence, Criminal Sentencing
Updated: 21 December 2021; Ref: scu.536527
