Letting agent who stole from clients ordered to payback £22k in compensation

The law has finally caught up with a letting agent who stole £22,000 from clients, including landlords.

Peter Bell, now the former franchise director of Enfields in Northampton, has been ordered to pay back more than £22,000 in compensation to landlords he stole money from.

Bell, aged 36, also defrauded some £92,000 from the company’s office in Mercer's Row, NN1.

A police investigation found that the con artist acted with his ex-partner, Rebecca Kirton, to divert funds from the company by convincing clients and landlords to deal in cash.

Instead of put tenant deposits into a government-backed tenancy deposit scheme, they were using the funds to fund a lavish lifestyle.

The former letting agent was jailed for two years in May 2017 after pleading guilty to 11 counts of theft and four counts of fraud.

However, Bell has now been given until 14 May to pay the compensation to his victims or face a further 12 months’ in jail.

Detective Sergeant Richard Barnett, from Northamptonshire Police’s Financial Investigation Unit, told the press: “We are pleased to be able to compensate some of the loss sustained by the victims of Mr Bell’s crime.

“The Financial investigation Unit works hard to ensure that crime doesn’t pay and even if you have gone to prison to serve time, we will still come after those assets which have been gained through illegal and criminal activity.”

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