Victims of Fleetwood Town football boss Andy Pilley describe fraud as ‘inhumane’ and leaving them suicidal

VICTIMS conned out of tens of thousands of pounds by Andy Pilley’s elaborate energy contract fraud described his practices as ‘inhumane’ and how it left them on the verge of suicide.

Giving evidence as part of a eight month trial at Preston Crown Court, 28 victims revealed the impact of the unscrupulous dealings they had with disgraced football club boss Andy Pilley’s energy companies.

The fraud was widespread and targeted small business owners including a hotel, a charity, a dog groomer, a stonemason, hairdressers, a physiotherapist, a cabinet maker, cafés, a dance school, shops, trophy makers, and a business supporting adults with learning disabilities.

Elaine Judge opened a sandwich bar in Tuebrook. She did a lot to fit it out. She had to deal with the offending call on a hectic and demanding first day.

She went to the Ombudsman who said that all was well with the contract call recording – as it was, but only because the fraudulent sales call had been suppressed. She could only escape from the bad contract by closing her shop down, so she did that. Her emotions were apparent in the witness box.

Victim Jean Pickles, described by Judge Graham Knowles as ‘nobody’s fool, said: “When all these figures are being quoted to you and

you are being bombarded by all these cold callers it’s very hard to keep track of who’s charging what”.

The call to her was played. The salesman was nasty and manipulative while pretending to be warm and jolly.

Judge Knowles, during the sentencing hearing said: “I have read 28 victim personal statements, including one from Mrs Pickles and some from further live witnesses, but mostly from others. They span a hotel, a charity, a dog groomer, a stonemason, hairdressers, a physiotherapist, a cabinet maker, cafés, a dance school, shops, trophy makers, and a business supporting adults with learning disabilities. Not all of them focus on matters in issue at trial, but those who do not do deal with matters found against BES by Ofgem, and with the consequences of signing up with BES.

“A victim who gave evidence here says, “in the five years I was with BES I must have spent at least 100 hours on the phone to them” and describes a range of symptoms in consequence. Another describes the impact on a children’s cancer charity. A common theme is loss of trust, even amongst those whose original suppliers managed to keep them, and a scepticism causing missed business opportunities or a limiting effect on future employment.

“Others speak of feeling sick, manipulated, stupid, coerced, humiliated, embarrassed, angry; or of the stress making them physically, mentally and emotionally unwell; of being bed bound for weeks; of a complete physical and emotional breakdown; of trauma; of lasting damage; of massive strain, daily stress and fear; of an ordeal; of irreversible stress; of losing not only a business but a marriage; of a whole family being affected; and of being forced to close the business down.

“BES is described by some of them as an inhumane company; a totally untrustworthy and devious company; and by Mrs Pickles as a company which “employed salespeople who hoodwinked me using bully boy tactics to get me into contract”.

“One rightly observes, “they had all the power after lying to me”.

“A witness who gave evidence writes that she had never in 21 years as a finance director signed up to a contract over the telephone but this cold call got her. She felt stupid and foolish for being scammed. It all made her feel physically sick. Facing the defendants and their lawyers here reignited all that. I should say that she was called only because the Crown wished her to give evidence.

“Another couple stand out for the gravity of the impact, for their dignity, for their admirable persistence and for the attacks made on them.

“They gave evidence here. I should say there was no cross-examination of them here, less still an attack on them; they were called because the Crown wished to call them. One of the pair spoke of their long-held ambition to have their own business.

”They achieved it at great risk, by moving 200 miles from their previous life to take over a trading hotel.

“As he was returning the van they had used for their removal, his wife was scammed by a fraudulent cold call. In time, they posted truthfully about it on the internet.

“They received an email from solicitors for BES at 7 o’clock on a Friday night demanding undertakings and the taking down of the posts within 48 hours – that is, by Sunday evening with no real possibility of taking legal advice over the weekend.

“In due course, for a time he was extremely worried for his wife. He feared she might kill herself or be sectioned. She speaks of depression and suicidal thoughts, and of becoming paranoid so that she had take a back seat in the business meaning that they had to close rooms and suffer a drop in income despite having the mortgage to pay. He speaks of blatant bullying, extreme levels of stress, and feeling helpless when he saw wife his wife suffer so much.

“They went to the Ombudsman, their MP, the BBC’s Watchdog programme and the Mail on Sunday to get released from the contract. That they managed. But they had to sell the business. Their plan had been to run it until retirement then live by the sea.

“They gave evidence to Mr Justice Freedman in civil proceedings brought by BES against the prosecuting authority about the investigation which led to this case and soon after she was taken to hospital by ambulance with extremely high blood pressure.”

The owner of Fleetwood Town Football Club appeared at Preston Crown Court for sentencing alongside his sister Michelle Davidson, 49, and two other associates - 52-year-old Lee Qualter from Cleveleys and 38-year-old Joel Chapman from Willerby in Yorkshire.

All four defendants were charged with offences relating to a multi-million pound fraud involving the mis-selling of energy contracts at three companies. They were found guilty by a jury on May 19 at the end of an eight-month trial.

The prosecution was brought by National Trading Standards. Pilley was found guilty of fraudulent trading, fraud by false representation and being involved in the acquisition, retention, use or control of the proceeds of fraudulently mis-sold energy contracts.

Pilley, 53, was jailed for a total of 13 years and disqualified from being a director for 13 years.

Davidson, who wept as the judge passed sentence, was jailed for six years and disqualified as director for nine years.

Qualter was jailed for seven years and disqualified as director for nine years.

Chapman was jailed for eight months.