A disgraced company director who used fraudulent Covid bounce back loans to buy an Audi with a personalised number plate, luxury holidays, and lingerie for his wife has been branded as someone who 'shamelessly stole from the public purse during a national emergency'. Steven Brookes, 40, was banned as a company director in 2010 after a conviction for stealing mobile phones, but he used his wife's name to apply for six loans without her knowledge.
Fraudulent Loan Applications
Between May and October 2020, Brookes made six Bounce Back Loan applications across five companies. In each case, he applied in his wife's name, having been disqualified as a director. His first application was for £50,000 for Blind Pig Media Limited, where he inflated the turnover to obtain the maximum amount. The funds were used for personal spending, including a trip to Disneyland and school fees for his daughter.
Just weeks later, Brookes applied for a second £50,000 loan for the same company, falsely declaring it was his first application. Money from this loan was spent at a florist, at lingerie retailer Boux Avenue, and transferred into the couple's joint account. A third fraudulent application in September 2020 was for another £50,000 loan for BPG Management Limited, which had never traded. The full amount was transferred to Blind Pig Media Limited and used for personal spending, including a £7,800 Audi for his wife and personalised number plates costing over £4,700.
Further Fraudulent Loans
Later that month, Brookes secured a £50,000 loan for Brookes Consultancy Limited, again a non-trading company. The full loan was transferred to Blind Pig Media Limited. A fifth application for The Pig Box Limited saw him declare a turnover of £750,000 despite the company never trading. The funds were used for luxury items from Jo Malone and payments to his wife's business. His final fraudulent application in October 2020 was for The Blind Pig Group Limited, with a declared turnover of £800,000. The money was used for a Tenerife holiday rental and a home energy bill.
Court Proceedings
Brookes admitted 11 charges of fraud and acting as a director while disqualified at Southwark Crown Court. He was due to be sentenced but his barrister could not attend. Judge Nathaniel Rudolf granted him conditional bail ahead of sentencing on 18 June. David Snasdell, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: 'Steven Brookes shamelessly stole from the public purse during a national emergency and spent the money on holidays, school fees and luxury treats for his family. Bounce back loans were a lifeline for small businesses struggling through the pandemic. Brookes exploited the scheme in almost every way imaginable, hiding behind his wife's identity to do so and deliberately ignoring his director ban to make matters worse.'
Only £7,494 of the £300,000 has been repaid. The Insolvency Service is seeking to recover the funds under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
