A hearing to claw back ill-gotten gains from a self-styled lord and his partner has been adjourned so further electronic items can be examined to see if there are more hidden assets.
Scott Wolfe and his partner Katie Hope set up fake online nutrition courses which duped around 900 people across the world into handing over a total of £225,000 for qualifications which never existed - money they splashed out on luxury cars.
Wolfe, who went by several aliases, including “Lord” Scott Austin - a title he purchased for £24.99, was jailed for four years and Hope for two years in July last year after the couple, then 38 and 34 and from Unthank Road, Norwich, admitted fraudulent trading between 2015 and 2016 at an earlier hearing through a company called International Distance College Ltd which traded as The Nutrition School.
A Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing was listed at Norwich Crown Court on Wednesday (August 5).
Cameron Crowe, prosecuting, sought an adjournment following the discovery of an Apple Mac book and iPhone said to have been used by Wolfe which need to be examined after evidence the defendant had “hidden his assets”, including £10,000 to an account in Mauritius.
Mr Crowe said it would be “folly to proceed” with the application without further examination of these items.
The application was opposed by Fiona Clegg, who appeared for both defendants, who said there was a real concern about “double counting”.
But Judge Anthony Bate granted the application meaning the POCA was adjourned until November 9 for mention or resolution.
As previously reported Wolfe and Hope claimed that the courses were expertly written and recognised by the NHS and international bodies.
The victims, from countries including Canada, South Africa, Singapore and New Zealand, lost around £200 each with about £120,000 being passed into Wolfe and Hope’s personal bank accounts.
They splashed out on luxury cars with the couple having owned, or had registered in their names a Bentley Continental, two Ferraris, two Range Rovers, a Porsche and Mercedes.
The court heard they led a “lavish lifestyle” from the “brazen” fraud.
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