Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by The Negotiator. Read the original article for full details.
Norfolk Estate Agent in Court Over £47,685 Fraud Allegations
A Norfolk estate agent has appeared in court accused of 19 charges of fraud by false representation, with alleged losses totalling £47,685. The case involves claims that landlord rental payments were withheld and tenant deposits were not secured in a Government-approved deposit protection scheme.
Victoria Steele, aged 51, was the sole director and shareholder of Swaffham-based eHomes during the period in question, from November 2011 to June 2018. The charges relate to her time running the estate and letting agency, which was previously known as Prestige Properties Limited.
Norwich Magistrates’ Court heard that up to 40 complainants, including a landlord undergoing cancer treatment and a Methodist church, contacted Norfolk Police and Action Fraud regarding the alleged offences. Reported individual losses among complainants range from £690 to more than £4,100.
Prosecutor Katherine Newsom described the case as involving a “significant number of complainants” and characterised the evidence as extensive and financially complex. Steele is reported to have entered no pleas at the hearing.
Magistrates ruled that the case exceeded their sentencing powers and committed it to Norwich Crown Court, where a plea and trial preparation hearing is scheduled for 19th June. Steele was released on unconditional bail.
The Swaffham premises of eHomes closed in 2018, and the company was formally dissolved in April 2019. According to The Eastern Daily Press, the court was told that the sentencing starting point, if found guilty, is 18 months in prison.
Source: The Negotiator