A caravan conman went on the run in Dubai and Spain for eight years after stealing £140,000 from people.
Police started looking into Martin Jack, 40, from Ellesmere Port, after they received information from a member of the public saying they were scammed. The Nantwich resident got in touch with Cheshire Police in November 2015 saying they ordered a caravan from Jack, putting down a £500 deposit.
After handing over the money the caravan never arrived and the victim was unable to contact the seller. An investigation was launched by detectives in Ellesmere Port who identified Jack as the main suspect in the case - he was then arrested in January 2016.
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He denied any involvement in the case and was released on conditional bail. However during further enquiries, detectives identified a total of 17 people across the UK who reported that they were also victims of Jack.
Between them they had handed over £139,737 as deposits for caravans that never arrived. The deposits ranged from £100 to £18,850 for just one caravan while a business owner in Northumbria handed over £24,000 for three caravans.
All the victims provided a similar story, telling officers that they had ordered caravans from Jack but after handing over their deposits they were all given constant excuses as to why they had not been delivered. Eventually after chasing him for a number of weeks, he would block his victims from contacting him.
In November 2016, Jack fled the UK and flew to Dubai where he lived off the proceeds of his crimes. After spending four years in Dubai, he then moved to Spain.
Jack eventually returned to the UK in November 2022 where he attempted to enter the country under the radar by getting a ferry to Dover. However he was swiftly identified, arrested and transferred to Cheshire to face the consequences of his actions.
Martin Jack appeared at Chester Crown Court on Wednesday, March 29, where he was sentenced to six years and six months in prison. The 40-year-old of Kings Road, Little Sutton, Ellesmere Port, had previously pleaded guilty to 17 counts of fraud by false representation and six counts of possession of criminal property.
Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Mark Hughes, who led the investigation, said: “Jack was a well-known caravan salesman, he previously had a good reputation and was trusted by his customers. However, he abused this trust and used it to his advantage, deceiving his customer out of thousands of pounds.
“Some of these victims were elderly and had invested their life savings to purchase holiday homes at parks across the UK. Jack promised them fantastic deals which were never delivered. Not only that but after taking their money he used it to fund his own lavish lifestyle, travelling across the world in his failed attempt to evade justice.
“Thankfully, after eight years on the run, he has now been held accountable for his actions, which I hope will provide some justice to his victims. Following his sentencing, we will now look to pursue a proceeds of crime hearing, to help recover as much of the stolen money as possible and return it to its rightful owners.”
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