James Maynard, of Countrywide Land Holdings Limited, appeared for sentence before HHJ Beddoe on 17th December 2018. Maynard had been on the run since 2003 and was arrested this summer after slipping back into the country undetected. He was arrested at Gatwick airport with a ticket to Cyprus.
Maynard was the fifth defendant to be sentenced for a fraud which netted some £35 million from 400 victims who were persuaded to part with money for worthless plots of land. He was sentenced to 7½ years imprisonment and disqualified as a director for 15 years. In sentencing, the Judge indicated that the starting point for the sentence was the statutory maximum for conspiracy to defraud of 10 years, reduced only due to a guilty plea.
Andrew Bird prosecuted this case, and an earlier associated trial, following a joint investigation by National Trading Standards and the Metropolitan Police. Andrew is a specialist in white collar crime, civil and criminal asset forfeiture, civil and public law proceedings regarding the criminal process. Ranked as a star Individual in Chambers and Partners in the fields of POCA work and asset forfeiture (all circuits) and ranked as a Tier 1 leading individual in the Legal 500 in the field of POCA and asset forfeiture (London Bar). He is appointed to the Attorney General's 'A' list panel for government work and acts in cases of the highest complexity.
