LEEDS CON MAN SENTENCED TO SIX YEARS IN PRISON

15 Sep 2004 05:15 PM

A Leeds man who used aggressive sales techniques and scare tactics to con elderly and vulnerable people out of their savings has been sentenced to six years imprisonment in absentia following a DTI investigation.

Christopher Woodhead ran a number of companies including Sealpoint Ltd and Midland Coating Company Ltd, selling exterior wall coating products. Clients were charged thousands of pounds for products they often did not need, with the profits funding Woodhead's lavish lifestyle.

The DTI's enquiries lead to the compulsory winding up of a string of companies owned by Woodhead in February 2000. The Serious Fraud Office prosecuted Woodhead after the DTI passed the case to West Yorkshire Police, leading to today's sentencing.

Sealpoint and associated companies sold masonry coatings to home owners in Northern England and the East Midlands. The business ran a large telephone sales department from the companies' administrative headquarters in Leeds, cold-calling customers to arrange home visits by field sales staff.

DTI investigators found the company employed inexpert sales staff and gave them just one week's training to carry out property surveys. They produced reports which invariably recommended expensive coating work; the reports were used to persuade customers to employ the services of Woodhead's businesses. The average price of the work was 4,495, with prices as high as 17,872.

Woodhead was also disqualified from acting as a director for 12 years and ordered to pay confiscation of some 428,000 within twelve months or serve a further three years in prison.

Woodhead was sentenced in his absence following a six week trial, and is currently sought by police.

Notes to editors

1. For futher information, see: www.sfo.gov.uk and DTI press release P/99/769

2. Woodhead acted variously as a director and shadow director of companies including:

Midland Coating Company Ltd
Sealpoint Ltd
Weather Protection Company Ltd
Management Services (West Yorkshire) Ltd

3. Woodhead was convicted in absentia at Leeds Crown Court on 28 July 2004 on twelve counts of theft from these and other of his companies amounting to 430,000. Sentencing was deferred until September.

4. Seal Point used a postal address of Metro House, 57 Pepper Road, Hunslet, Leeds, LS10 2RU. This was an accommodation address from which all correspondence addressed to the company was collected and taken to Unit 4, Sheepscar Road, Leeds.

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