Quentin achieves variation in Serious Crime Prevention Order

Mr TR was convicted at the Maidstone Crown Court in respect of a number of serious offences. At the time of sentence the Court imposed a Serious Crime Prevention Order (“SCPO”) for 5 years. One of the terms of the SCPO was that TR was not able to hold more than one current account for the purposes of banking and that he could not hold bank accounts abroad.

TR owned a plot of land in Belgium and wished to develop the land, in order to do so he wished to get a mortgage. In order to get a mortgage, he needed a Belgian bank account; this was forbidden under the terms of his SCPO.

TR approached Quentin to see if he could assist in varying the terms of the SCPO. Quentin was able to assist and immediately entered into negotiations with the Crown Prosecution Service and the Serious Crime Directorate as well as making contact with Maidstone Crown Court who issued the SCPO.  He accordingly achieved the consent of the prosecuting authorities to the variation and made an application to the Maidstone Crown Court and to the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court in order to get TR’s SCPO varied under the terms of s17(1) of the Serious Crime Act 2007.

All the Court applications were successful and the High Court varied TR’s SCPO to enable him to hold a Belgian bank account. TR was then able to take out a mortgage and pursue his property development ambitions.

Persons who are the subject of a SCPO often find the terms of the order too onerous or they may wish to have the terms varied to enable them to fulfil a business or life ambition. Quentin Hunt is an experienced expert in the procedure and practice of the variation of such orders and is able to give clear and effective advice as to how his clients’ goals can be achieved. If you are the subject of a SCPO and wish to have the terms varied, you may contact Barrister Quentin Hunt for a free no obligation conversation about your case.