A fraudster who tried to claim ownership of a Hitchin property through an elaborate deception has been jailed for more than 14 years.

Leslie Gayle-Childs, 59, attempted to take control of a house in the town by falsely claiming it belonged to a company he had set up as part of the fraud.

The property's former owner died in 2006 without leaving a will. Gayle-Childs later claimed the owner had secured a loan against the home through his bogus company and argued in court that, because the debt was unpaid, ownership should transfer to the company and the tenant be evicted.

A court initially upheld the claim in July 2020. However, retired police officer David Quinn advised the tenant to report the matter as fraud and supported them through the civil proceedings.

Hertfordshire Constabulary's Serious Fraud and Cyber Unit then launched a lengthy investigation, examining offshore shell companies and multiple civil cases connected to Gayle-Childs.

Appearing at Cambridge Crown Court on Friday 6 February, Gayle-Childs, formerly of Winnington Close in North London, was sentenced to 14 years and nine months in prison after being convicted of two counts of fraud by false representation and three counts of perverting the course of justice.

Police have also applied for a Criminal Behaviour Order to restrict further offending after his release.

Detective Constable Sian Beames, from the Serious Fraud and Cyber Unit, said:

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"Leslie Gayle-Childs saw an opportunity to obtain a property with no registered owner and set up an elaborate fraud involving false identities and offshore shell companies to back up his web of lies.

"The tenant of the property was faced with eviction and suffered terribly because of these actions. Gayle-Childs knew enough to complicate and confuse the legal process which initially led to the court awarding him ownership of the property.

"Thanks to the intervention of retired police officer DC Quinn, we were able to unravel the deceit planned and executed by Gayle-Childs."