Solicitor Facing Fraud Charges Over Ritz Scam

Thu, 10 Jun 2010

An Aldershot-based solicitor is standing trial at Southwark Crown Court faced with charges that he and two other men attempted to con two businessmen into believing they could buy The Ritz Hotel in London. Jurors heard that 57 year old Conn Farrell, acting on behalf of his law firm, worked with property developers Anthony Lee and Patrick Dolan to convince two wealthy businessman to hand over a £1 million deposit on the luxury hotel as part of a scam that led the two businessmen to believe that they were buying the hotel for £200 million.

Mr Lee told potential buyers that he was a close friend of the Barclay twins who own the Ritz . Believing this to be true, businessman Terence Collins and his Dutch financial backer Marcel Boerkhoorn made an advance payment of £1 million, which the lawyer and his associates kept.

Mr Farrell was a partner at his legal firm Farrell, Martin and Nee at the time, and was reportedly approached by the property developers to help provide legal advice in order to lend the scam extra legitimacy.
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