Construction UK Construction Directory
Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Share this page
Construction News
11/09/2015

Fraudsters Jailed For £2.6m Construction Scam

Two men who conned £2.6m from the States of Guernsey have been jailed at the Old Bailey in London.

John Woodhatch, 58, from Epping, Essex, was sentenced to five years in prison and Adrian Taylor, 44, from Swanley, Kent, was handed a six year sentence after both pleading guilty to charges of money laundering.

The scam involved a payment diversion fraud linked to the construction of a new runway at the airport on the island.

An investigation by the City of London Police led to the duos convictions.

Woodhatch and Taylor contacted the Guernsey Treasury in June 2012 claiming to be from Lagan Construction, which is currently carrying out a £50m project at the airport.

-- Advertisement --
hss

The pair informed officials they wanted to change the bank account details into which the Treasury was making its monthly payments to the company.

Once the latest payment of £2.6m had been transferred to a RBS account Woodhatch, who was working as a city broker, immediately instructed the bank to move the funds to accounts in Dubai and Turkey.

Woodhatch told RBS that the transfers were mainly to pay for a horse in Dubai.

However, the banks money laundering team referred the matter to the City of London Police for investigation in July 2012.

Within days detectives, assisted by Guernsey Police, had arrested Woodhatch and searched his home and commercial addresses.

A review of the accounts found that £52,000 of the stolen funds had been transferred to Adrian Taylor. He was arrested in October 2012 after handing himself in to police.

Det Insp Rob Stirling, who led the investigation, said the scam should serve as a warning to other public and private sector bodies that could be targeted by fraudsters in the same way.

(LM/MH)

Latest Construction News

22/11/2024

GMI Construction Group has reached a major milestone ahead of schedule in the construction of a £15.7 million waste-to-energy facility in County Durham. The steel framework of the 75,000 sq ft high-temperature thermal treatment plant has been completed, marking significant progress in the ...
22/11/2024

Cure has secured planning permission for a large new residential development in Keynsham, located along Bath Road. The project will deliver 208 homes designed with energy efficiency, community living, and sustainability in mind. The development will include a mix of 168 houses and 40 flats, with ...
22/11/2024

Morgan Sindall Construction has completed the restoration of West Bromwich Town Hall and Library, revitalising the iconic Grade II listed building for the community. Delivered five weeks ahead of schedule, the project preserves the historic site's architectural heritage while ensuring its future ...
22/11/2024

British Steel has unveiled a state-of-the-art rail stocking facility at its headquarters in Scunthorpe, marking a £10-million investment to bolster the UK's rail infrastructure. The new hub is the largest of its kind in the country and is set to play a pivotal role in supporting the rail ...
22/11/2024

Manchester City Council is seeking developers to transform a surplus multi-storey car park on Church Street into a landmark project in the heart of the city's iconic Northern Quarter. Named St Paul's, after the historic church that once stood on the site, the 1.54-acre (0.62-hectare) location ...
22/11/2024

A £500,000 project to refurbish the gateway to Tadcaster is set to begin next month, aimed at enhancing the town's appeal to visitors and supporting local businesses. The improvements will focus on upgrading the bus station, public toilets, and adding visitor amenities to make the area more ...
22/11/2024

Wandsworth Council has approved plans for 50% affordable housing. The changes to the local plan would require developers to deliver 50% affordable housing on all new schemes, with a majority to be council housing. The Local Plan formalises how the council works with developers to create and ...
22/11/2024

Homebuilder Thakeham has handed over the first nine homes at its Holmhurst St Mary development near Hastings, East Sussex, to Southern Housing. Addressing the need for affordable homes in the local community, Holmhurst Gardens is a 100% affordable housing scheme comprising both homes for rent and ...
22/11/2024

Thames Water has announced the completion of a £9.7 million upgrade to Benson Sewage Treatment Works, boosting its capacity and improving environmental outcomes. The project, which began in June 2022, was finished at the end of 2023 and has increased the site's treatment capacity by 29%, from 58 ...
22/11/2024

Dean Clough, the award-winning, 22-acre mixed use commercial destination in Halifax, has agreed new deals to let regional office space to two global operators. Severn Glocon, a global leader in industrial valve engineering and manufacturing, has secured a 2,460 sq ft of office space in Crossley ...
Think Construction Skills Ltd.BRICOFLOR UKAqua Direct LtdT & D Glazing And Installation LimitedStuart CanvasEfco UK LtdLakeside HireMAX PUMP concrete pumping and liquid screedRECO Hoist Hire & SalesWMS HGV RENTAL
Terms and Conditions
2024/11/23 07:58:02