A couple who ran Britain’s biggest timeshare sale scam duping 3,500 pensioners out of £28million face jail after splurging millions on property, LS Lowry artwork and private jets.
Mark and Nicola Rowe hired former Hollyoaks actress Julie Peasgood to promote their company offering help to sell timeshares for elderly owners worried about rising maintenance fees.
But behind the glossy façade of the TV adverts fronted by the unknowing star, the 54-year-old managing director and his wife Nicola, 54, ran a ruthless gang of fraudsters who conned 3,583 victims into thinking that their timeshare apartments would be sold for bumper profits if they invested in a holiday and retail voucher scheme which turned out to be worthless.
Victims were flown out to the firm’s fake offices in Tenerife and put up in hotels where they were bombarded with six hours of high-pressure sales pitches promising their investments would double in 14 months.
But, instead victims as old as 94 lost their life savings and pensions after investing as much as £80,000.
With £8million in profits hidden across 54 bank accounts, the Rowes enjoyed a jet-set lifestyle splashing out on homes in Tenerife and a £2.4million home in Hampshire complete with stables and a £56,000 Bang and Olufsen sound system.
The greedy pair splashed out £185,000 on artwork, including a £31,500 pencil sketch by JS Lowry and statues for their sprawling home, while their two children enjoyed a top-notch private school education costing £110,000.
They enjoyed £3,600 shopping trips to Selfridges and Harvey Nichols for designer clothing, spending £9,000 on watches while spending £1,000 a night at the Dorchester Hotel.
Mark and Nicola Rowe (pictured) hired former Hollyoaks actress Julie Peasgood to promote their company offering help to sell timeshares for elderly owners worried about rising maintenance fees
The living room in Mark and Nicola Rowe’s luxury Hampshire home
The bathroom features a walk-in shower, standalone bath and wooden flooring
Mark Rowe and his wife Nicola enjoyed a jet-set lifestyle splashing out on homes in Tenerife and a £2.4million home in Hampshire
The large open-plan kitchen inside Mark and Nicola Rowe’s Hampshire house
In one trip alone, the Rowes blew £26,000 on a private jet flight, posing for pictures by the plane to brag of their wealth on Facebook.
Meanwhile, the victims of the scam were left destitute after being persuaded to invest their savings and in some cases taking out bank loans as the fraudsters pressed them to increase their investment in further worthless schemes.
Sinking into debt, many victims would later discover that not only was the voucher scheme entirely fictional, but their timeshares had not been sold and they faced huge outstanding maintenance bills.
Southwark Crown Court heard that the majority of the firm’s clients were aged 60-80, with many said to be trapped in a ‘living nightmare’.
One pensioner told the court: ‘I’m now supposed to be retired and enjoying life, but as a result of being a victim of Mark Rowe’s fraud my quality of life has been reduced to a struggle – I’m unable to afford to even pay my own rent.
‘I’ve been a successful businessman all of my life, but feel that I’ve let my wife down, and I cannot see how I can put this right in the time that we have left.’
The fake offices in Tenerife, where the fraudsters took their victims
Victims as old as 94 lost their life savings and pensions after investing as much as £80,000
A double bedroom inside the couple’s luxury house, featuring a stylish interior
Victims were flown out to the firm’s fake offices in Tenerife (pictured) and put up in hotels where they were bombarded with six hours of high-pressure sales pitches promising their investments would double in 14 months
Today the last of the 14-strong gang of fraudsters will be sentenced at the end of a six-year investigation.
At an earlier hearing, Rowe was jailed for seven-and-a-half years’ after being found guilty of conspiracy to defraud, while his wife, the firm’s finance director is due to be sentenced for transferring criminal property at Southwark Crown Court today.
CPS specialist prosecutor Gayle Ramsey said: ‘These defendants acted in a completely selfish and manipulative manner to make huge sums for themselves and exploited timeshare owners, many of whom were elderly.
‘They provided victims with the false hope of disposing of timeshares in exchange for a valuable investment when in reality they were each left tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket after purchasing something which was worthless.’
