Meat fraud trio involved in £660,000 identity scam which forced foreign food firm to go bust

Darren Williams, Fahd Bux and Dale Seymore were involved in a scheme to take large orders of meat from producers in France and Belgium without paying for them. The Belgian firm was uninsured against such a disaster and went bust as a result of the scam.

Shrewsbury Crown Court heard how details of a legitimate UK meat trader were used to make a fraudulent website to place orders that would not be paid for, with the meat being delivered to Shropshire, then sold through the UK trade for thousands of pounds.

Bux's main role was to set up and help with the website. More than £16,000 was transferred into his wife's account as payment for his part in the fraud. Williams owned two farm shops which were involved in purchasing the goods, and Seymore helped by storing meat in a warehouse in Rednal, Oswestry.

Two firms, Gad SAS slaughterhouse in France, and Q Food in Belgium, were targeted.

Orders were placed with the French firm in January 2013. Philip Beardwell, prosecuting, said that a third order was attempted but, as Gad SAS had not received any payments, it did not accept it.

"On March 26, 2013, Gad SAS contacted Action Fraud, and the UK authorities commenced an investigation," Mr Beardwell said.

Meanwhile, Q Food was duped into sending meat deliveries worth thousands of pounds and, because the firm was not properly insured, it went bankrupt and had to close down.

A lengthy investigation ensued and the trio were eventually arrested four years ago.

Bux, aged 47, Seymore, aged 45 and Williams, aged 54, all pleaded guilty to being concerned in an arrangement which facilitates the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property.

Lawyers representing the trio asked Judge Peter Barrie to take into consideration the fact that the offences were 10 years old and that the three men had not been involved in any criminality since.

Judge Barrie told the trio: "This was a carefully planned and executed system of defrauding food companies by setting up a fraudulent internet presence to persuade them that genuine orders were being placed and would be paid for."

He told them they had established systems to receive money, rented a warehouse and moved the meat on through the trade "to realise the substantial gains that the enterprise as a whole achieved".

"Each of you played a part, determined by your skills, contacts and knowledge that each of you could bring to bear," said Judge Barrie.

He said the fraud will have had a "personal cost to everybody" involved in the businesses targeted.

Bux, of Colebrook Road, Shirley, Solihill, and Williams, of Moston Road, Shrewsbury, were both handed 20-month jail terms, suspended for two years. Bux was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation activity days. Williams must do 200 hours of unpaid work.

Judge Barrie said Seymore, of Elm Close, Oswestry, had a slightly less significant role. Seymore was handed a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He must do 100 hours of unpaid work and 10 rehabilitation activity days.