Nine charged in mortgage fraud trial

Nine people have been charged with fraud after providing false information about their earnings and occupations to try and obtain mortgages.

Teesside Crown Court heard how nine fraudsters, including a family of four, repeatedly lied about their financial situations to obtain numerous mortgage applications between 2005 and 2008, reported the News Gazette.

In total, a “six-figure” sum was transferred, however the court was informed that there were no arrears on the mortgages that were falsely obtained.

The group of nine included Catherine Beadnall, the landlady of a pub in Middlesbrough, her ex-husband John Francis Howard, their two sons Christopher and John Ronald Howard and James Hewison, of Great Broughton – who acted as an “introducer” helping the others acquire mortgages.

The court heard that pub landlady, Beadnall, had repeatedly lied about her annual salary in her mortgage applications. In 2008, she claimed to have been earning £21,000 a year, when her earnings actually stood at £900 for that year.

She was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years.

Beadnell’s ex husband was handed an eight-month sentence in court which was suspended for two years, after obtaining a mortgage of £105,000 by providing false information.

The former couple's two sons, Christopher and John, also faced charges. Christopher was given a six month sentence suspended for two years after admitting one charge of fraud.

John admitted a charge of attempting to obtain £86,925 fraudulently and was handed a six month sentence, also suspended for two years.

Others in the dock were Austin Johnson of Middlesbrough, who was given a two year community order for attempting to obtain a £115,000 mortgage by deception.

Thomas Kucinskas, who now lives in Lithuania, received a four-month sentence suspended for two years for obtaining a £55,000 mortgage by deception.

Anthony Mett of Middlesbrough, was given a four-month sentence suspended for two years for obtaining a £68,500 mortgage by deception; and Mandy Louth of Middlesbrough, was given a four-month sentence suspended for two years for obtaining money by deception.

Prosecuting Tony Hawks, said: “These offences happened when the financial market and the willingness of lenders was very different to what it is now.”