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Jail Sentence For Mobility Bosses After Council Investigation


Wednesday 19th December 2012



The boss of two former mobility companies which were featured on the BBC's Watchdog programme has been jailed after admitting defrauding elderly victims out of over £40,000.

Derbyshire County Council's trading standards team carried out one of its biggest ever investigations after receiving a wave of complaints about companies called Virgo Healthcare Limited and Lifestyle.Derbyshire County Council's trading standards team carried out one of its biggest ever investigations after receiving a wave of complaints about companies called Virgo Healthcare Limited and Lifestyle.

Both were run from premises on Gainsborough Business Park, Long Eaton, by husband and wife Amarjit Gill, 51, and Ranjit Gill, 45, of Brackenfield Drive, Giltbrook, Nottingham.

Appearing yesterday at Leicester Crown Court, Amarjit Gill was sentenced to 18 months in prison for what Judge Mooncey described as 'disgraceful activities'.

At a previous hearing, the Gills had both admitted 25 charges for offences which saw them fraudulently make £42,515 from elderly victims.

Ranjit Gill was given a 12 month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid community work.

Both Amarjit Gill and Ranjit Gill were banned from being company directors for five years.

Staff from Virgo Healthcare and Lifestyle sold mobility aids - including reclining chairs, orthopaedic beds and walk-in showers - costing up to £3,892, to elderly buyers through home visits after speculative telesales calls.

Some of the fraud offences related to the elderly victims not being given their money back when they tried to cancel the contract during the legal seven day cooling off period - this right to cancel is given to anyone who agrees a contract in their own home.

In the worst cases, the goods weren't even delivered to the victims - leaving them significantly out of pocket and without the mobility aids they had paid for.

Councillor Kevin Parkinson, Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said: This was one of our biggest ever investigations and we're pleased justice has been done.Councillor Kevin Parkinson, Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration, (left) said: "This was one of our biggest ever investigations and we're pleased justice has been done.

"These crimes targeted some of the most vulnerable members of our communities in their own homes.

"The judge in this case acknowledged Amarjit Gill's total disregard for a six month suspended prison sentence made against him in February 2011 after we took action against his previous company ABM Mobility under the Enterprise Act.

"Our trading standards team will always take the strongest possible action in such cases and unscrupulous traders should be aware that we will not tolerate crimes of this nature."

David Messom, 27, of Maws Lane, Kimberley, Nottingham and Samuel Routh, 26, of Wilkinson Close, Chilwell, Nottingham, were employed by the Gills as managers.

Messom was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to do 200 hours unpaid community work, after pleading guilty to nine fraud charges.

The BBC's flagship consumer protection programme Watchdog featured the trading practices of Virgo Healthcare Limited and Lifestyle.Routh was sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to do 180 hours unpaid community work, after pleading guilty to eight fraud charges.

The BBC's flagship consumer protection programme Watchdog featured the trading practices of Virgo Healthcare Limited and Lifestyle. Both companies have ceased trading.

 

 

 


 

 

 

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