Late submission of evidence
means trial of former Business Telecom staff put back until next
year.

 

The Business Telecom scandal rumbles
on, after the trial of two of its staff, accused of using
misrepresentation to induce customers to sign lengthy and expensive
leasing agreements for telephone equipment, has collapsed for the
second time.

Christopher Boughton-Fox, the company’s
MD, and employee Jonathan Parrish, the defendants in the case, will
now not appear again at Norwich Crown Court, where the case is
being tried, until October when a pre-trial hearing is to take
place.

The court heard several weeks of evidence
between the end of April and the beginning of June before the case
was brought to a halt.

The trial of the two men will not
recommence until January next year, after the length of the trial,
originally scheduled for between 4 and 6 weeks, rose to 10 weeks
following the late submission of evidence.

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Both deny charges of conspiracy to
defraud, while two other Business Telecom employees, Neil Debenham
and Daniel Cullen, have already pleaded guilty and will be
sentenced at the end of the trial.

 

Jurors fell ill

The trial first collapsed at the
beginning of this year after a number of jurors fell ill and the
entire jury was eventually dismissed in February.

The prosecution was brought by Norfolk
Council’s Trading Standards unit, following an extensive
investigation into Business Telecom’s activities, beginning in
2007.

Business Telecom found itself at the
centre of the scandal after a wave of complaints came to light,
with numerous companies claiming they were duped into signing
leasing agreements for telephone equipment.

Representatives from the Great
Yarmouth-based company, now in liquidation, are alleged to have
approached companies around Norfolk and elsewhere, persuading them
to enter into arrangements for the supply of telecommunications
systems and accessories by making false representations.

They are accused of making numerous
verbal inducements such as promises of annual rebates on calls of
more than £1,000 (€1,100), which never materialised, according to
those who have made complaints.

Customers claimed they later found
promises were not redeemable after signing lease agreements,
brokered through intermediary Shire Leasing.

Shire Leasing stated none of its staff
were present during meetings where promises were said to have been
made and added it was not aware of any verbal arrangements between
Business Telecom staff and lease customers.

Agreements were signed for equipment to
be provided through the leasing arms a number of large banks, from
which customers say they have so far been unable to extricate
themselves.

Several companies in Norfolk say they are
in fact continuing to pay thousands of pounds in rental on
telephone equipment, which they believe is worth much less.

Others added that Business Telecom falsely
claimed to be linked to British Telecom as a further inducement.