POCA Success: Benefit Figure Reduced by £10M and 'Hidden Assets' Claim Avoided
Ben Douglas-Jones KC, leading Allison Hochhalter (25 Bedford Row), who also represented the Part 18A POCA parties, briefed by David Bloom and Sophie Drake of Sonn Macmillan Walker, represented the defendant, G.
G, convicted in 2022 of money laundering offences from 2013-2014, successfully challenged the Crown's confiscation claim. The Crown had initially asserted a benefit figure of £10.3 million, including £4.5 million under criminal lifestyle provisions, and £818,000 in "hidden assets."
Through meticulous preparation and negotiation, the defence team secured a significantly reduced agreed benefit figure of £543,000, with an available amount of £267,000. The Crown conceded that the starting point for calculating benefit was £223,000, accepted there were no "hidden assets," and acknowledged the defendant had no beneficial interest in a property valued at £1.2 million. The prosecution also agreed that an inflationary uplift should not apply.