by David Bates
Caravan criminal avoids jail despite guilt on 15 counts
A conman who falsely advertised caravan holidays online has been handed a six-month suspended prison sentence and been ordered to repay his victims.
Samuel Brazil, 22, was sentenced for 15 counts of fraud at Lewes Crown Court, 12 of which centred around false advertisements placed for caravan holidays. Two additional counts related to non-existent sofas for which he elicited partial payment, whilst the other involved someone paying for both a sofa and caravan trip which never materialised.
Brazil pled guilty to all charges.
The con man from Crawley posted adverts on Facebook, as well as the site FaceBay, for breaks at genuine sites, including Camber Sands in Rye and Bunn Leisure in Selsey amongst other popular destinations.
Some of the victims, who lost between £50 and £300 each, arrived to commence their holidays at one of the leisure parks, only to find out that they had no booking.
Brazil used a Ms. Cara Coates’ pseudonym in order to set up bank accounts into which he received payment; George Hepburne-Scott, his defence lawyer, said she was merely “someone he had met”, but the prosecutor Dale Sullivan expressed his confusion that she was facing no charges.
Hepburne-Scott also pointed out the financial and medical difficulties, which he believed mitigated Brazil’s crimes, producing documentation which verified Brazil’s clinical depression. He also insisted that there was little chance of Brazil reoffending.
Nevertheless, Judge Michael Lawson QC asked: “What about the victims?”
He went on to point out: “These are wretched offences – thoroughly dishonest on your part – conducting sales over a couple of months which no doubt caused huge distress.
“Nothing can be said about it, save that it’s thoroughly deliberate and thoroughly mean,” he continued.
Both Judge and defence agreed, however, that jail was not the best option. Brazil intends to repay the £1,960 he owes through a prospective garden business.
What do you think the best course of punishment would have been?
