The victims of two married ex-police officers who were behind a multi-million pound fraud will have to wait two months for their money after their latest court hearing was stopped midway.
Anne and Eugene OGrady from The Avenue, Worcester Park, were jailed for two years in March after they amassed a fortune of £1.9million in a complex mortgage and property swindle.
However, a hearing set up this week to attempt to return some of their ill-gotten gains to their victims was halted after their barrister, John Lyons told the court he could no longer represent the couple.
He said his reason was because the couple wanted a QC to represent them. The trial has now been postponed until September.
It was at the end of the original trial that Judge Simon Bernstein ordered all assets from their illegal activities to be confiscated and used to reimburse their victims.
During the trial, the court heard that Anne, an inspector for British Transport Police, adopted false identities and wore elaborate disguises to fool tenants while running Portland Property Management Services with her husband from their home.
The pair then forged documents to plunder their tenants bank accounts and created fake mortgage applications.
They were eventually caught after an intense investigation which led to a team of officers bursting into their home using a battering ram and seizing computer equipment with evidence of their scheme.
On sentencing, Judge Bernstein told the pair: You wove a web of deceit and stole from innocent people who couldnt afford it. What you did hits the very root of the justice system. For a police officer to commit these offences is unforgivable.
Although police discovered documents showing a fortune of nearly £2 million, they believe the amount of money gained could be much higher and claim they may have at least four overseas accounts.
Despite claims by their defence that the pair, who were childhood sweethearts, suffered depression which led to their crime spree, the judge added: You dont suffer from anything but the sin of greed.
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