Landlord’s Loot Confiscated

A Confiscation Hearing has concluded at Chester Crown Court concerning local Conwy businessman Steven Stanley DICKENS.

In January 2009 DICKENS and his partner Yasminah JHURRY were convicted of a series of mortgage fraud offences. Yesterday the Court found that DICKENS had benefited in the sum of £1,640,190.86 as a result of these offences. After a lengthy hearing, His Honour Judge Stephen Clarke found that DICKENS had assets to the sum of £837,101.20 and made an order to pay this sum within 12 months or in default of payment to serve a period of 3 years imprisonment.

As part of this same Hearing, the Court had earlier found that JHURRY had benefited in the sum of £211,450.75 and had assets to the sum of £32,478.86. An order was issued to pay this sum within 6 months or in default of payment serve a period of 12 months imprisonment.

The Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector John Hanson said 'The conclusion of this Hearing marks the end of a complex and protracted fraud investigation that started over five years ago. The order issued by the Judge in this case should serve notice to anyone who benefits financially from crime'.

A Financial Reporting Order was also granted by the Court. As a condition of this order Steven DICKENS will be required to submit reports regarding his finances to North Wales Police Financial Investigation Unit for the next five years for the purpose of preventing the commission of similar fraud offences.

North West RART undertook the protracted confiscation investigation in support of this case and was successful in obtaining these confiscation orders. Detective Inspector Dean of the NWRART said ‘This is another example of successful partnership working to tackle criminality by removing the profit from crime’.