A husband and wife from Anglesey who funded a 'lavish lifestyle' with other people's money have been sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court. Rhys Williams, 41, and Lisa Williams, 40, were part of a wider fraud case involving six people, with total sentences exceeding 49 years.
Rhys Williams admitted two charges of possessing criminal property and one of making false representation. Lisa Williams pleaded guilty to one charge of possessing criminal property. The couple spent the money on cars, luxury properties, and shopping, including £72,000 in cash withdrawals in Spain, £46,000 on retail, and £9,000 on restaurants and nightclubs.
One victim, Michael McVicar, lost his family home and described Williams as 'the most heartless man' he had ever encountered. In a victim impact statement, Mr McVicar said he had thought of taking his own life due to the fraud. Williams had acquired £179,000 from Mr McVicar in 2014 and a further £120,000 in 2016, which was spent by the couple.
Judge Carr noted that some offences involved a high degree of culpability and were aggravated by cross-border activity. Rhys Williams was jailed for nine years for fraud and acquiring criminal property. Lisa Williams received a 16-month suspended sentence for possessing criminal property.
Four other defendants were also sentenced. Former solicitor Jonathan Denton received 15 years for fraud totalling £25m. Susan Gillis was jailed for seven-and-a-half years for money laundering. Business associate Jason Curtis was imprisoned for nine years, and Jamie Halfpenny received seven-and-a-half years for fraud. All defendants will serve half their sentences in custody.
