Businessman to stand trial on fraud charges (From York Press)

Jonathan Guy Brudenell to stand trial on fraud charges

9:37am Tuesday 4th September 2012 in News

A NORTH YORKSHIRE businessman whose commercial interests once spanned the Atlantic is to stand trial for fraud before a judge and jury.

Jonathan Guy Brudenell does not accept that he has done anything criminal, but at a hearing before York magistrates his defence team agreed he had a case to answer on 12 charges of fraud which together allege he was responsible for deceptions totalling £1.24 million over more than a year.

York magistrates committed Brudenell, formerly of Nawton near Helmsley, and now of Lammas Court, Scarcroft, Leeds, to York Crown Court where he will appear for a plea and case management hearing on October 12. At that hearing he will be asked to enter his plea to the 12 charges.

One charge alleges that between March 23, 2009, and March 25, 2009, he deceived a would-be investor into giving him £240,000 by falsely claiming it would be used for a property deal.

A similar charge claims he made a similar false representation to a second man between November 12, 2008,and November 26, 2008 into giving him £600,000 for use in a property deal.

A third charge alleges he deceived a third man into giving him £400,000 by false claims between December 10, 2008, and January 9, 2009, to be used in a property deal.

The 42-year-old businessman also faces nine charges that he sent email messges connected to a fraud between January 2009 and September 2009.

Brudenell was released on unconditional bail.

He had business interests in aviation, hotels, restaurants and property companies based in the UK, the Isle of Man and the British Virgin Isles and was director of several companies until he gave them up in 2009.