The group, including the landlady of a Middlesbrough pub, lied about their earnings and jobs in their mortgage applications. In total “a six-figure sum” was dishonestly transferred. However, the court was told that there are no arrears on the mortgages.
James Hewison, 32, of Ingleby Road, Great Broughton, was jailed for 12 months at Teesside Crown Court for his part in the scams. He acted as the “introducer” helping the others acquire mortgages. The court was told that most of the group met Hewison at the Park End Hotel Pub, in Middlesbrough.
Judge Peter Armstrong described one defendant, Anothy Mett, 33, as being “unfortunate” for happening to come across Hewison in the pub which led to him “becoming embroiled in all this”.
The court heard that pub landlady, Catherine Beadnall, 54, of Penistone Road, Middlesbrough, had repeatedly lied in her mortgage applications. She claimed she earned £21,000 a year when in fact her earnings for that year were just £900. She was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years.
Her ex-husband John Francis Howard, 55, of Tavistock Road, Middlesbrough, and their two sons, Christopher Howard, 28, and John Ronald Howard, 31, who both live at the Park End pub, also faced charges.
John Francis Howard was given an eight-month sentence suspended for two years after obtaining a mortgage of £105,000 using false details.
Christopher Howard was given a six-month sentence suspended for two years after admitting a charge of fraud.
John Ronald Howard admitted a charge of attempting to obtain £86,925 by fraud and was given a six-month sentence suspended for two years.
The others in the dock were Austin Johnson, 24, of Cranmore Road, Middlesbrough, who was given a two-year community order for attempting to obtain a £115,000 mortgage by deception, Thomas Kucinskas, 39, who now lives in Lithuania, received a four-month sentence suspended for two years for obtaining a £55,000 mortgage by deception, Anthony Mett, 33, of Amersham Road, Middlesbrough, was given a four-month sentence suspended for two years for obtaining a £68,500 mortgage by deception and Mandy Louth, 47, of Bridge Street East, Middlesbrough, was given a four-month sentence suspended for two years for obtaining money by deception. The dishonesty was all carried out between 2005 and 2008.
Prosecuting Tony Hawks said: “These offences happened when the financial market and the willingness of lenders was very different to what it is now.”
