AnotherDay was instructed to support a victim, who had invested money into a company set up by her boyfriend in exchange for shares.

These never were issued; it became apparent that the defendant had in fact been in a relationship with numerous women, and he had obtained money from all of them.

In one case, this was her life’s savings. Rather than invest the money, he used this to support his lavish lifestyle.

The police declined to prosecute, and so the victims launched a private prosecution.

The process

Our team ensured that the highest standards of investigation were adhered to, given the requirements of the UK criminal justice system. This involved:

• Detailed witness interviews and writing witness statements.
• Gathering of corroborating evidence.
• Identifying and approaching independent witnesses.
• Locating other victims and obtaining their evidence.
• Managing disclosure obligations.
• Applying to the courts to obtain banking information.
• Liaising closely with specialist lawyers and counsel.

During the investigation, it came to light that the defendant had also defrauded the regulator, and additional evidence was obtained.

The trial

The defendant decided to plead not guilty, and our investigators supported the case by giving evidence at trial.

During the trial, the judge deemed that the offences alleged were so serious that the police should take over the case.

The evidential case file was passed to local law enforcement, and our team supported them during their investigation.

The result

Immediately before the second trial, the defendant decided to plead guilty to 8 counts of fraud.

He was sentenced to six years in prison, and the judge commended the victims in pursuing a private prosecution after their reports to Action Fraud were not pursued.

The victims were delighted to have finally found closure, and are also seeking to recover their stolen funds.