Defendant in TOWIE Star Fraud Case - Not Guilty

Case study summary

Our client was charged along with The Only Way is Essex star Lewis Bloor with conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering in the jewellery industry. We fought with the CPS to get full disclosure, eventually resulting in the case being dropped just before trial.

Case study

Our client was charged along with 10 others in a complex fraud and money laundering prosecution at Snaresbrook Crown Court related to an alleged 'boiler room' investment scam in the jewellery industry. His co-defendant was a reality TV personality Lewis Bloor, of The Only Way is Essex. He admitted that he worked in the company where fraud had taken place, but had not known or participated in anything criminal. He was a young man at the start of his career in finance at a major bank by the time he was charged. Being prosecuted in court was a major blow to him and also both of his parents.

The prosecution evidence was weak, but the client could have been convicted if he or other defendants had not performed well when they were cross-examined in the witness box. Our client initially felt somewhat desperate, having changed to our firm from another firm where he had been advised to plead guilty. We put together a plan to start building his defence again properly from the start, which included full research of the background, including investigating former colleagues and prosecution witnesses.

Throughout the pre-trial period, we fought with the CPS over getting full disclosure. They finally offered no evidence in the days before the trial was due to start, and the case against our client was dropped.