STORY
James Gillingham has been sentenced to five years and six months in prison after admitting his role in an investment fraud which took approximately £1 million from more than 60 people. He pleaded guilty to fraud, money laundering and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Investors were cold called and promised monthly returns from apparently legitimate investments operated through companies claiming to have prestigious London offices. Police found that no money was invested and that payments made to earlier clients came from funds provided by other victims. The largest individual loss was £133,900.
Charges were authorised in 2020, but Gillingham left Britain and failed to attend court. He was subsequently deported from Singapore and arrested at Heathrow Airport in August 2025. The Crown Prosecution Service intends to pursue confiscation proceedings in an attempt to recover assets for compensation, although the amount available has not yet been established.