This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/london/7352854.stm
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Gang jailed for £6m holiday scam | Gang jailed for £6m holiday scam |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| A gang that cheated thousands of people in a £6m holiday scam have been jailed for up to seven years each. | A gang that cheated thousands of people in a £6m holiday scam have been jailed for up to seven years each. |
| Their fraudulent empire of bogus "bargain breaks" funded a lavish lifestyle, Southwark Crown Court heard. | Their fraudulent empire of bogus "bargain breaks" funded a lavish lifestyle, Southwark Crown Court heard. |
| Timothy Entwisle, of Dorset, and Evangela Liogka and Christakis Philippou, both from London, were all found guilty of conspiracy to defraud. | Timothy Entwisle, of Dorset, and Evangela Liogka and Christakis Philippou, both from London, were all found guilty of conspiracy to defraud. |
| Peter Kemp, of Herts, who earlier admitted the same charge, was jailed for four-and-a-half years. | Peter Kemp, of Herts, who earlier admitted the same charge, was jailed for four-and-a-half years. |
| An estimated 20,000 people, all of whom booked holidays online or through a TV text service, are thought to have been duped by the gang. | An estimated 20,000 people, all of whom booked holidays online or through a TV text service, are thought to have been duped by the gang. |
| These were ordinary, honest people who were entitled to expect what they had paid for Judge Andrew Goymer | These were ordinary, honest people who were entitled to expect what they had paid for Judge Andrew Goymer |
| Many arrived at airports to find their flights did not exist while others reached their destination to discover there was no hotel booking. | Many arrived at airports to find their flights did not exist while others reached their destination to discover there was no hotel booking. |
| Meanwhile the gang members enjoyed first-class flights, five-star luxury, designer clothes and expensive cars. | |
| Jurors heard Entwisle's former home in Sutton Montis, Yeovil, Somerset, was a £1m, 11-bedroomed mansion and his three children were privately educated. | |
| Philippou's £2m home boasted £20,000 worth of silk curtains and soft furnishings and a state-of-the-art kitchen while Liogka splashed out on designer clothes and a six-carat £100,000 diamond ring. | |
| The court heard that a total of 26 "front" operations were identified, although only five involving an estimated £6m plus losses featured in the trial. | The court heard that a total of 26 "front" operations were identified, although only five involving an estimated £6m plus losses featured in the trial. |
| Mastermind | |
| Of this, £5.6m has disappeared and had to be repaid to customers by credit card companies, the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). | Of this, £5.6m has disappeared and had to be repaid to customers by credit card companies, the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). |
| Entwisle, 57, of Childcombe, near Bridport, and Philippou, 64, of Bark Place, Bayswater, west London, were both convicted of five counts of conspiracy to defraud between July 2003 and August 2006. | Entwisle, 57, of Childcombe, near Bridport, and Philippou, 64, of Bark Place, Bayswater, west London, were both convicted of five counts of conspiracy to defraud between July 2003 and August 2006. |
| Philippou, who masterminded the scheme, was jailed for seven years while Entwisle was sentenced to three years in prison. | Philippou, who masterminded the scheme, was jailed for seven years while Entwisle was sentenced to three years in prison. |
| Peter Kemp (left) was banned from running a business for 15 years | |
| Liogka, 40, of Montpelier Place, Knightsbridge, central London, was found guilty on two counts of the same charge and jailed for three-and-a-half years. | |
| All three had denied the charges claiming co-defendant and self-confessed conman Kemp, 54, of Goffs Oak, Waltham Cross, and two others - now dead - were to blame. | All three had denied the charges claiming co-defendant and self-confessed conman Kemp, 54, of Goffs Oak, Waltham Cross, and two others - now dead - were to blame. |
| Kemp was handed a 15-year company directorship ban and the others received similar disqualifications of between five and 10 years. | Kemp was handed a 15-year company directorship ban and the others received similar disqualifications of between five and 10 years. |
| Passing sentence Judge Andrew Goymer said all four had taken part in "what I can only describe as a cynical and greedy fraud". | Passing sentence Judge Andrew Goymer said all four had taken part in "what I can only describe as a cynical and greedy fraud". |
| "These were ordinary, honest people who were entitled to expect what they had paid for. | "These were ordinary, honest people who were entitled to expect what they had paid for. |
| "These offences took place on such a scale and for such a length of time, they are too serious to be dealt with by anything other than substantial prison sentences," he added. | "These offences took place on such a scale and for such a length of time, they are too serious to be dealt with by anything other than substantial prison sentences," he added. |