Millionaire loan shark is jailed

A millionaire loan shark whose only legitimate business was a tanning salon in Surrey has been jailed after being extradited from Spain.

Scott Linegar had a £780,000 nest egg and his income "far exceeded" that from Perfection Tanning in Tadworth, London's Southwark Crown Court heard.

Linegar, of Grovelands, West Molesey, was jailed for three years and three months after admitting six charges.

The court he had confessed to police he had a £28,000-a-week loan shark empire.

Stuart Samson, prosecuting, said police found holdalls packed with more than £46,000 collected from customers in a Mercedes which Linegar abandoned after it crashed in Hayes, south-east London.

Money laundering

After an initial appearance before magistrates, Linegar, 30, skipped bail and fled to Spain with his live-in girlfriend, Kelly Lawton, 32.

It took police two years to track them down before they were extradited.

Mr Samson told the court Linegar immediately admitted his crimes but would not disclose the location of the £780,000 he had "hidden away".

He said extensive evidence of money laundering later emerged.

The £53,000 Mercedes was bought for cash and he paid a £50,000 cash deposit for a £345,000 property in Orpington, south-east London, which had since been repossessed.

Money lending

There was also a £40,000 deposit in cash for a second home costing £239,000 in Banstead, Surrey.

Officers also discovered that when arrested Linegar was about to put £35,000 down for the £235,000 Hop Inn in Paddock Wood, Kent.

Linegar admitted two counts of money laundering, three of possessing criminal property and one of unlicensed money lending between April 2003 and August 2005.

Judge Michael Gledhill said he would face confiscation proceedings next year.

Lawton, who pleaded guilty to possessing criminal property, was sentenced to 150 hours community service.