Shropshire fraud case pair 'had no links to McDonald's'
Animated film companies run by two Shropshire men alleged to be involved in a £14 million fraud had no contact with the McDonald's restaurant chain about merchandising, a court has heard.
A jury at Birmingham Crown Court was told that "no approach" was made to the fast food giant by defendants Simon Drew and David Griffiths, or any of their companies.
The pair told potential investors that McDonald's wanted to use children's characters they were creating. But Marie Richards, a marketing manager for McDonald's in the UK, said she had never heard of the men. She said the company was involved in a dozen campaigns a year.
And giving evidence yesterday Miss Richards said that between 2005 and 2012 there was no approach from Inspire GLG Ltd – the Bewdley-based animated film business run by Griffiths and Drew.
During that period she was a senior brand manager based at East Finchley in London.
She said there was also no links with any of the defendants' six limited companies – Boblins, Oddjobbers, Galactic Circus, Amber Animals, Inuit Adventures and Monster School.
The defendants are alleged to have encouraged investors to part with their money by claiming McDonalds were interested in using characters from Boblins, and other Inspire film projects, for Happy Meals.
Griffiths, 50, of New Road, Oreton, near Cleobury Mortimer, and Drew, 49, formerly of Larches Lane, Oreton, and now living in Sussex, deny 16 charges of fraud by false representation and 18 allegations of deception between 2004 and 2009.
Monies went through Inspire GLG which acted as the hub for the series of limited companies.
The trial continues.
