Bankrupt MGA directors avoid asset confiscation

The two managing general agency directors convicted of fraud and perjury will not have their assets confiscated because they are bankrupt, a court heard today.

Warwick Crown Court Judge Amjad Nawaz said Jayson Hollier and Andrew Booth were “bankrupt” and the crown prosecution service would not be seeking to confiscate their assets.

The two fraudsters were due to be sentenced today. Sentencing was adjourned until July 18 so that Judge Nawaz could have psychiatric reports on Hollier. Both have been released on bail.

Lawyer Bart Casella, representing Hollier, said: “We sought a psychiatric report on Mr Hollier in light of his recent mental condition.

“The suggestion at the time was that it may have been possible to do that privately. Mr Hollier tried to seek the services of his GP. The difficulty of that was that he was no longer registered with his private practice having moved in with his brother.”

The pair of tricksters were directors at Shakespeare Underwriting and owed insurers about £2m when it went into administration in January 2006.

The Warwickshire-based underwriting agency had offices in Caerphilly, Romford and Rugby. It specialised in motorcycle, private car, household, commercial vehicle, and property.

At Warwick Crown Court in April, Hollier, 40, was found guilty of two counts of perjury relating to Shakespeare and CIA Insurance Services at the High Court in May 2006.

He was also found guilty of fraudulent trading in the Bentley Group, a holding company.

Booth, 60, was found guilty of fraudulent trading for Shakespeare, fraudulent trading for the Bentley Group, theft of £45,000, and two counts of perjury relating to Shakespeare and CIA at the High Court in May 2006.

The case was brought after an Insolvency Service investigation.

Booth took large sums of money from the company, some of which went to Hollier. After the losses forced the company into administration, Booth stole £45,000 from the failing firm.

Booth and Hollier dishonestly used the Bentley Group to disguise Hollier’s ownership and control of Shakespeare and CIA.

Booth had acted as Hollier’s ‘front man’, or nominee, for each company. The jury found that each had lied under oath when giving evidence about this in High Court company directors’ disqualification proceedings.