UK
Asian Voice - Saturday 23rd October 2010
Leicester Voice Property scam mum jailed for defrauding bank out of £600,000 A failed businesswoman turned to crime to dupe a bank out of £600,000 in a series of sophisticated frauds. Sukhvinder Kaur Gill, who was jailed for two years and eight months last Thursday, also impersonated a friend to get a further £25,000. The 38-year-old mother of two embarked on the bank scam in 2007, using forged documents falsely showing she had financial interests in properties she was only renting out on behalf of the owners. She used forged solicitors' letters to get the Habib Bank of Zurich to give her tens of thousands of pounds in overdraft facilities and hundreds of thousands in business loans against the properties. In 2003, she was jailed for nine months for stealing £28,000 from her then employer, Warwick District Council, in a false invoice scam. Sentencing Gill at Leicester Crown Court, Judge Michael Pert QC said: "You're a thoroughly dishonest woman. You were convicted in 2003 for a dozen offences of theft from your employer and went to prison. Most people would
have learnt their lesson. You started up these businesses but when things went wrong you turned again to crime and, for over three years, you conducted numerous dishonest, professional and sophisticated transactions, resulting in a loss (to a bank) of £600,000." Gill, of Attenborough Close, Wigston, pleaded guilty to nine forgery offences, three frauds and three thefts, involving £253,027, £183,739 and £162,876 from the Habib Bank of Zurich, between 2007 and 2009. She also admitted obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception, by assuming a friend's identity to obtain a credit card in her name and a £25,000 loan, in 2005. A proceeds of crime investigation is under way to establish where the £600,000 went and what assets a court could confiscate. Victoria Rose, prosecuting, said Gill set up Exclusive Lettings Agency, in Briton Street, off Narborough Road, and opened a business bank account with the Zurich bank. Property owners gave her their details so she could
rent out their houses. Using the information in relation to properties in Western Road and Grasmere Street, in the West End, she forged documents purporting to show she could borrow money against the homes. She used the bogus paperwork to obtain an £80,000 overdraft and £137,000 business loan. In 2008, she used a similar scam, falsely claiming to have a financial interest in another Grasmere Street property. When the owner of both Grasmere Street houses confronted her, she admitted borrowing £239,000 against them. She also fraudulently obtained money through two other companies she was involved with – Kitchens and Bathrooms Direct and A to Z Development and Construction. Andrew Easteal, in mitigation, said that on release from her last sentence she wanted to prove herself as a businesswoman to her family. She set up companies with her husband, but lost £80,000, and when her husband became ill she fell into the clutches of money lenders before turning to crime in desperation.
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Brother of Loughborough stab victim dies in car crash A Leicestershire family is mourning the death of their 20-year-old son in a car crash, less than three months his older brother died in a stabbing. Rajdeep Das from Loughborough died when his car left the road on the way to Oldham in the early hours of Sunday. A family tribute said he was "a wonderful loving son" and that he would be sadly missed. His older brother Nitu Babu Das, 23, died on 26 July. Two people have been charged with his murder. Rajdeep Das died when his car left the road near Knutsford services in Cheshire, coming to rest by
Nitu Babu Das died from stab wounds in July
the side of the motorway. Leicestershire county councillor Jewel Miah said the family had been left devastated by Rajdeep's death. "The father is a taxi driver and a strong man but he was totally devastated when I talked to him yesterday. His mother is in a very distressed state and family are
trying to comfort her. To lose two sons in a matter of months is really hard for them to bear." The family statement said: "Rajdeep leaves grieving parents, two younger brothers and an older sister, who love him dearly. Rajdeep will be sadly missed by all who knew him."
Loughborough couple ordered to pay back crime profits A couple have been ordered to pay back crime profits of more than £330,000. Jiva and Rekha Parmar, formerly of Spruce Avenue, Loughborough, were jailed in May after being on the run for nearly 10 years. They were involved in a £3.9 million VAT "missing trader" fraud. The scam involved
mobile telephones imported into the UK VAT-free, although it is suspected the phones did not exist. Companies were set up which sold the goods in the UK with VAT added, but they disappeared. Jiva Parmar (43) was ordered to pay £316,000 by March 15 next year, or serve a further four years in
prison. He was jailed for three years and four months in May. Rekha Parmar (43) was ordered to pay back £17,807 within 28 days, or serve a further year. She was sentenced to three years and nine months. They both admitted conspiracy to cheat the public revenue.
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