Veteran fraudster spared jail

Judge gives unwell Kintbury conman 'a chance late in life'

A VETERAN fraudster who operated an international gold coin scam from his Kintbury headquarters walked free from the dock at Reading Crown Court on Friday.

Howard Del Monte – formerly Nigel Goldman – was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment for cheating victims out of nearly £11,000.

But the judge said that, largely because of his ill health and apparent remorse, the jail term would be suspended for 15 months. Del Monte, 58, closed his eyes momentarily but showed no other emotion as the sentence was delivered.

One of his two victims, Newbury businessman Leon Shepherd, was in the public gallery to see justice done but left without comment afterwards.

Del Monte, who was evicted from his rented Kintbury home and now lives in a housing association property in the village, once rubbed shoulders with international high flyers, living it up in Spain.

His fall from grace was no less dramatic and he is now a shadow of the international playboy he was once portrayed as.

His glamorous consort throughout the trial, former Inkpen resident Suzanne Couling, is no longer by his side.

And, for the first, time, Del Monte’s shady past was revealed in court.

During the trial in December last year, jurors heard how Del Monte used his Kintbury High Street base for his online operation called Benson’s Emporium, piggy-backing his dodgy deals on to a legitimate business run by Ms Couling, who was a Hungerford clothing dealer.

Prosecutor Nicholas Cooper said one victim, Lee Cubit, paid £1,612 into Del Monte’s Newbury bank account for coins which never materialised.

Around the same time, former Vodafone employee Mr Shepherd also visited the online Benson’s Emporium, paying £9,250 for 40 Elizabeth II sovereign gold coins and two South African coins.

They, too, never materialised.

Jurors acquitted Del Monte of one count of fraud against Mr Cubit, but convicted him by a majority of a second and unanimously convicted him of committing fraud against Mr Shepherd.

Del Monte’s prior convictions, some of which resulted in jail terms of up to six years, were then outlined. They included two offences of obtaining property by deception, criminal damage and trading with intent to defraud.

Matthew Hardiman, for Del Monte, said in mitigation that his client’s last conviction was in 1996 and that he had expressed “considerable remorse” for his latest offending.

He said that Del Monte and Ms Couling had been evicted from their rented home and added: “He now lives in a housing association flat by himself in Kintbury.

“His partner and her 15-year-old daughter have gone to live locally with her mother, which is a problem because she is his registered carer and his lymphatic system needs draining on a daily basis.

Judge Ian Grainger told Del Monte: “You struck me at trial as a man for whom dishonesty has become second nature. Your attempts to characterise your lies as mere sales puff were staggering.”

Mr Cubitt said in a victim impact statement that the fraud had caused him financial and emotional distress and, while Mr Shepherd made no such statement, Judge Grainger said: “In my view this had a considerable financial and emotional impact on him.”

Sentencing Del Monte to a total of 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 15 months, Judge Grainger told him: “You are being given a chance late in life and I hope you have the sense to take it.”

Del Monte was ordered to pay a £100 victim surcharge and made subject to a three month home curfew between 8pm and 6am, enforced by electronic tag.

Finally, he will be subject to a confiscation hearing which will seek to compensate his victims.