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Jailed for non payment of order

14/07/2010

Yesterday, at Birmingham Magistrates Court, Carl Pritchett, 57, was jailed for seven years as a result of non payment of a £2 million confiscation order made against him in connection with the running of Cuddles Massage Parlour, which was raided in 2005.

Pritchett, along with Susan Richards and Nathan Langstone, was convicted in 2009 for keeping a brothel used for prostitution and was ordered to pay £2 million, which was the figure deemed that he had benefited to in relation to his criminal activity, within six months or face a jail term.

The order was made under the Proceeds of Crimes Act 2002 (POCA). This allows the court to make an order against a defendant to pay a sum equal to his benefit from the crime.

Syed Askari, CPS West Midlands Group Operation Centre said: "The Crown Prosecution Service and our partners in the criminal justice system are committed to taking cash out of crime. In enforcing confiscation orders we will robustly pursue defaulters and seek activation of the default sentence by the court where there is wilful non-compliance. Furthermore, where there are assets that remain uncollected, those assets could become the working capital of criminals in new criminal ventures when they are released from their prison sentences."

John Baker from West Midlands Police Central Payback Team said: "Carl Pritchett was made subject of a £2million confiscation order in September 2009.

"That order was based upon money Pritchett had made, and conceded he had made from prostitution. He was given time to pay, but failed to do so. That failure resulted in him being jailed for seven years on 13 July 2010. Despite the term of imprisonment enforcement of the order will continue until it has been paid in full. Orders made under the Proceeds of Crime Act do not go away and cannot be ignored."

End

Notes to editors

The West Midlands CPS Group consists of four prosecutions areas Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Mercia and West Midlands. Website www.cps.gov.uk/westmidlands
The DPP has published his long term vision for the prosecution service and its role within the wider criminal justice system. It includes modernising the service and increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of criminal justice - read "The Public Prosecution Service: Setting the Standard" at www.cps.gov.uk/pps
The CPS, together with ACPO and media representatives, has developed a Protocol for the release of prosecution material to the media. This sets out the type of prosecution material that will normally be released, or considered for release, together with the factors we will take into account when considering requests. The Protocol is published on our website at: http://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/agencies/mediaprotocol.html
For further information, please contact Katy Halls on 01782 664565