Judge convicted of fraud over fake letters in support of planning applications

A solicitor and Deputy District Judge who submitted fictitious letters to a council in support of planning applications has been convicted of several fraud offences.

Keith Shaw, 37 of Sleights, Whitby, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court this week (13 November 2017), where he was convicted of a number of fraud offences spanning three years between 2012 and 2015.

Shaw, who had pleaded guilty to the charges, was sentenced to 20 weeks’ imprisonment suspended for two years. He was ordered to pay £2,747 in compensation and £7,285 in costs. He was also ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work.

The defendant was first brought to the attention of North Yorkshire Police when Scarborough Borough Council reported concerns in November 2015.

The report from the local authority indicated that Shaw had attempted to subvert a planning process.

The investigation found that Shaw had applied for planning permission to develop land at several locations within the Whitby area.

It was alleged that he attempted to influence the planning office by submitting numerous correspondence purporting to be from members of the general public in support of his applications.

The letters emails were found to have been submitted by Shaw using the names and addresses of others without their permission. The content of the correspondence was also entirely fictitious, the police said.

The defendant also falsely claimed a refund of £2,747 in relation to surveyor’s fees when buying an area of land in Sleights. He had claimed that due to a delay in the sale completing he had been charged for a survey that did not go ahead, which was not the case.

Detective Inspector Jon Hodgeon, Head of Economic Crime and Major Fraud at North Yorkshire Police, said: “Keith Shaw is a highly qualified judge who used his enhanced knowledge of the legal system to commit crime and deceive a number of public sector organisations. He is a narcissistic individual who thought he could use his position to defraud others for personal gain.

“It is important we catch professionals such as Shaw as it sends a clear message that no-one is above the law.

“This was a particularly complex investigation lasting eighteen months and I praise the diligence and professionalism of the investigation team. I also extend my thanks to the many partners and witnesses involved in this case for their support.”