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Convicted sex offender Michael Sibbald set up Kingdoms Legal Services while on bail for stealing more than £1m of taxpayers’ cash
A gang of fraudsters who ripped off prisoners by promising to fight their convictions but pocketed £220,000 were jailed for 13 years.
Convicted sex offender Michael Sibbald set up Kingdoms Legal Services in 2011 – while on bail for stealing more than £1m of taxpayers’ cash.
The bogus law firm defrauded nine inmates by falsely claiming it would instruct solicitors to appeal against their convictions.
Liverpool Crown Court heard its victims included prisoners serving sentences for murder, sex offences and fraud.
Judge Stephen Everett said: “The audacity of what you did really takes the breath away.
“You were involved in concocting a plan to target highly vulnerable prisoners and their entirely innocent families and friends.
“You then used what seems to me to have been lax security and checking systems in the prison estate to enter prisons masquerading as lawyers or their staff, knowing any discussions between you would be private.
“You made outrageous claims designed to get their hopes up and make them think there was a real chance of a successful appeal when there was none.”
Sibbald, 53, of Tern Way, Wirral, who received a five-year sentence for sexual offences against boys in 1999, conceived and managed the scheme with the help of Robert Marr, 64, of Montpellier Crescent, New Brighton.
Anthony Bryce, 59, from St Johns Road, Durham, and Gemma Ward, 28, from Grant Road, Leasowe, Wirral, were recruited to help string clients along.
In total £218,000 was paid to the firm, yet Kingdoms did not use any qualified lawyers.
The sophisticated operation involved opening bank accounts, a virtual office and real premises “to give a veneer of respectability”, while Kingdoms’ website was designed to give the impression it was a nationwide company.
Bryce, who married Sibbald’s first wife, played the part of the “private investigator” who researched background evidence.
Ward, who has two children with Sibbald, was described as Kingdoms’ trainee or “prison law representative”.
Sibbald and Marr admitted conspiracy to defraud, while Bryce and Ward were found guilty after a trial.
Judge Everett said they took money from prisoners’ families knowing they could not afford it, but wanted to give their loved ones a chance to appeal their convictions.
He said: “You played on that mercilessly to get that money. You didn’t give two hoots about your victims.
“£200,000 doesn’t fully paint the picture of the misery that your extremely vulnerable victims were caused by your callous and dishonest behaviour.”
Some elderly relatives lost their life savings and the partner of one prisoner sold her home in the recession at a discount price.
The judge said: “You strung your victims along with visits and promises.
“You left a trail of destruction and misery in you wake and all for sheer greed.”
Judge Everett jailed Sibbald, also known as Michael Fallon, for four and a half years.
He is already serving a 40-month sentence for fraud after exploiting loopholes in a European work training scheme, operating locally as the Mersey Skills Network.
The judge said: “I am sure you will never change.”
Judge Everett jailed Marr for three years and four months, adding: “You showed no sympathy for your victims and you can expect none from me.”
Bryce, who had no previous convictions, was sentenced to three years behind bars.
The judge jailed mum-of-two Ward for two and a half years.
He said: “You had sympathy for yourself and no one else. It may be in some respects you went along with Sibbald but you knew you were providing a supportive role like a Greek chorus.
“You have lost your children and lost everything.”
Speaking after the case, fraud investigator Clive Myerscough from Merseyside Police’s Economic Crime Team, said: “Sibbald and Marr are career fraudsters.
“Along with Ward and Bryce, they exploited the vulnerabilities of the victims and their families who were desperate to engage professionals to conduct legal appeals against their convictions.”
Convicted sex offender Michael Sibbald set up Kingdoms Legal Services while on bail for stealing more than £1m of taxpayers’ cash
A gang of fraudsters who ripped off prisoners by promising to fight their convictions but pocketed £220,000 were jailed for 13 years.
Convicted sex offender Michael Sibbald set up Kingdoms Legal Services in 2011 – while on bail for stealing more than £1m of taxpayers’ cash.
The bogus law firm defrauded nine inmates by falsely claiming it would instruct solicitors to appeal against their convictions.
Liverpool Crown Court heard its victims included prisoners serving sentences for murder, sex offences and fraud.
Judge Stephen Everett said: “The audacity of what you did really takes the breath away.
“You were involved in concocting a plan to target highly vulnerable prisoners and their entirely innocent families and friends.
“You then used what seems to me to have been lax security and checking systems in the prison estate to enter prisons masquerading as lawyers or their staff, knowing any discussions between you would be private.
“You made outrageous claims designed to get their hopes up and make them think there was a real chance of a successful appeal when there was none.”
Sibbald, 53, of Tern Way, Wirral, who received a five-year sentence for sexual offences against boys in 1999, conceived and managed the scheme with the help of Robert Marr, 64, of Montpellier Crescent, New Brighton.
Anthony Bryce, 59, from St Johns Road, Durham, and Gemma Ward, 28, from Grant Road, Leasowe, Wirral, were recruited to help string clients along.
In total £218,000 was paid to the firm, yet Kingdoms did not use any qualified lawyers.
The sophisticated operation involved opening bank accounts, a virtual office and real premises “to give a veneer of respectability”, while Kingdoms’ website was designed to give the impression it was a nationwide company.
Bryce, who married Sibbald’s first wife, played the part of the “private investigator” who researched background evidence.
Ward, who has two children with Sibbald, was described as Kingdoms’ trainee or “prison law representative”.
Sibbald and Marr admitted conspiracy to defraud, while Bryce and Ward were found guilty after a trial.
Judge Everett said they took money from prisoners’ families knowing they could not afford it, but wanted to give their loved ones a chance to appeal their convictions.
He said: “You played on that mercilessly to get that money. You didn’t give two hoots about your victims.
“£200,000 doesn’t fully paint the picture of the misery that your extremely vulnerable victims were caused by your callous and dishonest behaviour.”
Some elderly relatives lost their life savings and the partner of one prisoner sold her home in the recession at a discount price.
The judge said: “You strung your victims along with visits and promises.
“You left a trail of destruction and misery in you wake and all for sheer greed.”
Judge Everett jailed Sibbald, also known as Michael Fallon, for four and a half years.
He is already serving a 40-month sentence for fraud after exploiting loopholes in a European work training scheme, operating locally as the Mersey Skills Network.
The judge said: “I am sure you will never change.”
Judge Everett jailed Marr for three years and four months, adding: “You showed no sympathy for your victims and you can expect none from me.”
Bryce, who had no previous convictions, was sentenced to three years behind bars.
The judge jailed mum-of-two Ward for two and a half years.
He said: “You had sympathy for yourself and no one else. It may be in some respects you went along with Sibbald but you knew you were providing a supportive role like a Greek chorus.
“You have lost your children and lost everything.”
Speaking after the case, fraud investigator Clive Myerscough from Merseyside Police’s Economic Crime Team, said: “Sibbald and Marr are career fraudsters.
“Along with Ward and Bryce, they exploited the vulnerabilities of the victims and their families who were desperate to engage professionals to conduct legal appeals against their convictions.”