Terry Croft and Manoj Chauhan, two men convicted for their roles in a sophisticated conspiracy to commit property fraud against the blue chip water supplier Severn Trent, had their appeals refused today by the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) in London.

Each was applying for leave to appeal against his conviction based on criticisms of the trial process, the fairness of proceedings and the way their cases were dealt with by the Judge in summing-up the trial.

They were both tried twice, prosecuted each time by Luke Blackburn leading Ben Isaacs, both complex fraud specialists at 7BR. The case was brought by the West Midlands Complex Casework Unit of the Crown Prosecution Service, and the West Midlands Police Economic Crime unit.

The case involved an insider who worked for Severn Trent. He sold well over a dozen properties at artificially surpassed prices to individuals in the know, having created a bogus market with only one real buyer. This was done by forging documents, putting pressure on estate agents and making other deceptions. That first buyer they sold the property on to an unsuspecting second buyer who had simply competed with others and paid the fair market price. The difference between the first and second price, sometimes tens of thousands or more, was the profit of the fraud, at the expense of the victim company, its customers and its shareholders.

The appeal against conviction was not the first time the defence teams had sought to appeal. After an adverse legal decision made before the second trial began, the defendants mounted an interlocutory appeal, which was also unsuccessful.

Mr Croft, who at his two trials privately instructed a leading Queen’s Counsel and junior, is a well-known Gloucestershire property developer. Mr Chauhan also works in property, and was represented at trial and at his appeal by a highly-respected leading junior based in Birmingham.

Click here to read the judgment in full.


Share:

For help or advice please call +44 (0)20 7242 3555 or complete 
the form below

A member of the Clerking team will help you resolve your request.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, please call Chambers mainline number +44 (0)20 7242 3555 and you will be directed to the out of hours phone lines.

As a direct access client, please visit our direct access page and complete the initial form, a member of the clerking team will then be in touch to discuss the next steps.

Choosing the right barrister for your case can be difficult, with so many to choose from. Our clerks will be happy to guide you with your choice. Their wealth of knowledge and experience will help you decide the right barrister not just for the case but someone who will work with you.

Some barristers have the ability to “conduct litigation” for direct access clients. Our clerks will be able to assist you as to which of our members are trained and accredited to do so.

Please visit our direct access page for the initial steps on instructing a barrister, or contact our clerks on +44 (0)20 7242 3555.

Search

Shortlist Builder

Close

Select the legal expertise that you would like to download or add to the shortlist

Download Add to shortlist
Shortlist close
Title CV Email

Remove All

Download


Legal Expertise

7BR is a leading set with barristers providing expertise and assistance to clients across a broad spectrum of practice areas.