Ex-Ellesmere pub man admits 19 fraud charges – worth nearly £2 million

Christopher Peach, 51, formerly of the Black Lion Hotel, on Scotland Street, Ellesmere, pleaded guilty to 19 fraud charges at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Wednesday morning.

The majority of the charges relate to providing cheques for which he did not have the funds.

Peach, who now lives on Red Hill Lane, Wrexham, has however also admitted several charges of attempting to claim refunds, where he said he had mistakenly paid firms, but had actually used cheques for which he did not have funds.

He has also pleaded guilty to one charge of transferring criminal property – moving money fraudulently obtained from Vanguard Asset Management to Wace Morgan Solicitors.

The amounts concerned in the charges range from £4,900 up to £500,000, and all offences took place between 2016 and 2019.

In total the value of the fraud stands at around £1.9m.

During the hearing Peach spoke only to confirm his name and his pleas of guilty as each of the 19 charges were read out.

The charges include providing a cheque worth £500,000 for Franklin Templeton Investments on August 8, 2018, which was not valid, as well as giving a cheque worth £430,000 to Terry Jones Solicitors on July 30, 2019, for which he also did not have the funds.

Other charges admitted by Peach include telling Paratus AMC that a cheque worth £486,251, had been paid into their account in error and requesting a refund – despite knowing his cheque would not clear.

Judge Barrie adjourned the case for reports to be carried out, and told Peach he would be sentenced on October 6.