Janes Solicitors fraud team worked closely with Lord Carlile QC and Alexandra Healey QC in the successful defence of Mr Geert van Meel . The Prosecution was brought by the SFO and known as the ‘Beijing Olympics Ticket Case Fraud’. Mr Van Meel was alleged to have made fraudulent representations in respect of the sale of a large number of football tickets for international and premier league matches. At the outset the defence team took a novel point of European Law to challenge the statutory football ticket sales regime as being anti competitive. The Judge did not give a ruling upon this but accepted subsequent legal submissions concerning the Fraud Act. Janes Solicitors cannot say too much more at this stage as the case is continuing against the other defendants.

Janes Solicitors successfully acted on behalf of Merlin Ferry (son of Bryan and brother of Otis) in relation to a charge of possessing a Gurkha knife in a public place. Following representations from Janes Solicitors regarding the fact it was part of a fancy dress outfit the charge against Mr Ferry was dropped and he agreed to be bound over for a period of one year.

Janes have secured the release of a client charged with serious drug offences and money laundering in the South of England after contesting a Prosecution application to extend custody time limits. Having secured victory in the Crown Court we successfully opposed the Prosecution’s attempt to have the decision judicially reviewed the next day.

A long running series of trials in Luton has concluded. Janes were instructed by numerous defendants in linked cases of mortgage fraud and a “crash for cash” insurance fraud. Having had four clients acquitted in the mortgage fraud case last year, Janes have now secured another acquittal in the crash for cash trial, which has attracted national publicity.

Janes have successfully appealed a cash forfeiture order at the Central Criminal Court. After a hearing that lasted over four days the Court ruled that the money seized from our clients should be returned to them with interest. This was a highly contested matter with the Metropolitan Police putting up a strenuous opposition to the appeal proceedings. Janes did not represent the clients in the lower court where the original forfeiture order was made.