Cameo auction bosses: 'Guilty' says jury

The jury returned its verdicts yesterday (Thursday) afternoon at the end of a six week trial at Reading Crown Court.
Jurors had heard how cheated clients of the now defunct Midgham auction house were "fobbed off" or sent dud cheques, and that bank accounts of online bidders were raided.
The true scale of the deception may never be known, said Gordon Menzies, prosecuting, but could involve up to £250,000.
In the dock beside 63-year-old Mr King, of Mattock Way, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, was his wife Beverley and brother-in-law Glenn Norcliffe, of Marcuse Road, Caterham, Surrey.
The trio denied a total of 11 offences committed between 2009 and 2012.
Mr Norcliffe was convicted of fraud by abusing his position; Mr King was convicted of fraud and making false statements and his wife was convicted of one count of being concerned in the criminal retention or control of property.
Mr Norcliffe was cleared of one charge of fraud and Mrs King was cleared of a second charge concerning retention of criminal property.
They will be sentenced at a later date.
There was drama during the trial as Mr King was taken ill.
He was not in court to hear the jury’s damning verdicts.
The case was brought following a series of articles in the Newbury Weekly News highlighting how furious clients had been cheated.
Our information was passed to West Berkshire Council’s trading standards department who launched a major probe.
See next week’s Newbury Weekly News for the full story and background.