Businessman near Harborough jailed for his part in £2m housing scheme bribery

Richard King, of Husbands Bosworth, has been given a 29-month sentence after pleading guilty to fraud by false representation and two bribing charges.

In total, six people have been sentenced for involvement in the criminal conspiracy which included bribery, money laundering and fraud centred around the then new community of Cranbrook in Devon.

Two former employees at the energy company E.ON were found to have accepted bribes in the form of cash, false invoices, references and home improvements, among other bribes, in exchange for work relating to Cranbrook. The court heard that King was involved in the bribes.

One of the employees was kept on side by being provided with fake references used to fraudulently facilitate several house moves.

The wrongdoing was identified by E.ON after the employees moved on, investigated and reported, leading to a long and complex investigation.

There was no wrongdoing on the part of the energy company itself.

By accepting the bribes, the employees ensured that companies who made legitimate and fair bids, lost out on the work.

In 2010, Cranbrook was being developed with new-build houses and E.ON was awarded with a contract to provide district heating for the project.

Mark Baker was appointed as E.ON’s Head of Projects and subsequently Head of Build for the project, with Matthew Heyward employed as a Quantity Surveyor, responsible for signing off works.

Mark Baker, who is married to Angela Baker, accepted bribes from individuals behind the companies Priddy Engineering Limited and RK Civil Engineering, with Heyward also receiving illegal payments.

Priddy Engineering Limited was controlled by Andrew Blunsdon who paid bribes to both Mark Baker and Heyward.

RK Civil Engineering Ltd (RKC) was one of a group of companies controlled by Richard King.

King’s partner at RKC was Timothy Paterson and bank accounts linked to the two paid a combined total in excess of £1.5million to Mark Baker and Heyward.

The bribes arrived in the form of cash, money paid in to bank accounts, the use of prestige cars, free hotel rooms, free building work and false references.

The reason the bribes were paid is because these companies were construction contractors who either had or desired a commercial relationship with E.ON.

Part of Mark Baker’s role was deciding which companies should be given construction contracts at Cranbrook, and later at other locations around the UK.

Heyward played a key role in authorising the payment of contractor’s invoices, particularly at Cranbrook.

Blunsdon, King and Paterson knew Baker and Heyward to be in positions of influence when it came to the awarding and the management of contracts.

They bribed them to further their own financial interests knowing they’d willingly act in a corrupt manner.

The bribes started in 2011 and continued through until the end of 2015 when E.ON discovered and reported the illegal activity.

Mark Baker, 56, of Goole in Yorkshire; Angela Baker, 53, also of Goole; Matthew Heyward, 51, of Kingsteignton, Devon; Timothy Paterson, 56, of Derby; Richard King, 51 of Husbands Bosworth; and Andrew Blunsdon, 57 of Winscombe in Somerset, all appeared at Winchester Crown Court on Wednesday April 30 and Thursday May 1 for sentencing after pleading guilty to various offences.

• Mark Baker pleaded guilty to being bribed, four counts of fraud by false representation, being concerned in a money laundering arrangement and fraud by abuse of position.
• Angela Baker pleaded guilty to four fraud by false representation counts, fraud by abuse of position and being concerned in a money laundering arrangement.
• Paterson admitted two fraud by false representation charges, two charges of bribing another person and one of acquiring criminal property.
• King pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and two bribing another person charges.
• Heyward entered guilty pleas to bribery and being concerned in a money laundering arrangement.
• Blunsdon admitted two counts of bribery.

The sentences passed by HHJ Rufus Taylor were:

• Mark Baker was jailed for 46 months and disqualified from being a company director for seven years.
• Matthew Heyward was jailed for 30 months and disqualified from being a company director for seven years.
• Richard King was jailed for 29 months.
• Timothy Paterson was jailed for four years and disqualified from being a company director for seven years.
• Angela Baker was sentenced to 13 months in prison, suspended for two years and made subject of a three months 8pm to 6am curfew.
• Andrew Blunsdon was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years and must complete 150 hours of unpaid work.