Stuart Trimmer KC concludes unusual confiscation saga. He acted on behalf of the Serious Fraud Office in the original proceedings (2006+2008), Court of Appeal (2017) and more recently the High Court (2019).

The High Court heard that Raymond Nevitt squandered hidden assets to fund “an extravagant and hedonistic lifestyle, going out every night and day, taking trips to Barcelona, Mont Blanc, Monte Carlo, San Rafael, Amsterdam, Paris and Ischgl. He said he would sometimes spend up to €3,000 in an evening entertaining friends over from England”.

In passing judgment in favour of the SFO, and upholding the £1.6 million Confiscation Order, the court ruled “It could not have been the intention of Parliament that criminals should be able to defeat the purpose of confiscation legislation and frustrate a Confiscation Order by simply squandering the money; let alone by supporting life “on the run”. There is nothing in the 1988 Act which supports such an absurd and obviously unintended conclusion​.”

Court Of Appeal
High Court