Jail for 'millionaire shoplifter'

Castle hired expensive cars and stayed in luxury hotels

A man police dubbed "the millionaire shoplifter" has been jailed for more than two years for money laundering.

Kevin Castle, of Nottingham, obtained refunds for shoplifted goods from DIY stores in north-west England and the Midlands, Preston Crown Court heard.

Castle was wanted by police forces in Lancashire, Nottingham and Greater Manchester, when he was caught.

At Preston Crown Court, Castle, 43, admitted money laundering and was jailed for 28 months.

Height boosted

Lancashire Police said Castle prompted "a complex and protracted enquiry" with "crimes committed all over the UK" at Homebase and B&Q stores.

Detectives believe he was making between £500 and £1,000 a day from as far back as 2004 as he drove around the country claiming numerous refunds.

He used a variety of disguises, posing as a electrical engineer, alarm fitter and property developer.

The court heard he even wore blocks in his shoes to boost his height of 5ft 5in.

Castle, of Gibbons Avenue, Stapleford, was finally caught as he tried to exchange a packet of doorknobs at the Homebase branch in Altrincham.

He has an appalling set of antecedents and he admits he has wasted his life Ian Whitehurst Defending

The court heard Castle spent £140,000 gained from the scam using it to stay in a five-star hotel, rent a luxury apartment and hire top-of-the-range cars.

He booked a 28-night stay at Claridge's Hotel in London and hired expensive cars including a Porsche Cayenne and several Jaguars.

Castle's fraud first came to the attention of Lancashire Police in 2004 when he tried to get a refund using a fraudulent receipt at B&Q store in Bamber Bridge, Preston.

In 2005, he pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court to four counts of obtaining property by deception, with 35 other offences to be taken into consideration.

'Appalling record'

Peter McNaught, prosecuting, said police later found large amounts of money in Castle's then-partner Elaine Rogers's accounts, which were funding "a lavish lifestyle".

Both were arrested on suspicion of money laundering in April 2006 and later bailed, but Castle was arrested again three months later after the doorknob incident in Altrincham.

A search of his Jaguar uncovered 28 packets of Homebase doorknobs and a map highlighting 300 store locations in the North of England and the Midlands. A till roll was found by officers at his home.

Castle was again released on bail and went on the run. He was eventually arrested as he got out of a hired BMW X5 on a car park in the village of Burton Joyce, near Nottingham, in February 2008.

A week later, Rogers, 47, of Chad Gardens, Nottingham was sentenced to 12 months in jail, suspended for two years, at Preston Crown Court for money laundering.

Ian Whitehurst, defending, said Castle now wanted to start a new life.

"He has an appalling set of antecedents and he admits he has wasted his life," said Mr Whitehurst.

Refunds policy changed

Lancashire police said Castle continues to be investigated by Nottinghamshire Police regarding a number of separate deception offences.

Despite the attention on Castle, Det Con Dot Walker, of Lancashire Police, said his ex-partner also played a part in the con.

"She was spending on a massive scale at places such as Harrods and Claridges in London," said Ms Walker.

"Castle and Rogers have lived the high life for many years, living off the proceeds of crime."

Both are now subject to confiscation investigations under the Proceeds of Crime Act, Mrs Walker added.

Welcoming the conviction, a B&Q spokesperson said: "Since this fraud was initially detected we have substantially changed our refunds policy, which makes replicating this kind of fraudulent activity much more difficult.

"We continue to take fraud and all kinds of theft extremely seriously and co-operate with the authorities wherever we can."