A British fraudster, Mark Acklom, 52, known for deceiving an ex-girlfriend out of more than £300,000, has had his request to delay the confiscation hearing refused by a judge. Acklom was sentenced in 2019 to five years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to five counts of fraud involving Carolyn Woods from Gloucestershire.
After fleeing the UK in 2016 during his initial sentence, Acklom was extradited from Spain in 2021 and served an additional two years before his release in 2023. Since then, UK prosecutors have pursued asset recovery using the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) to reclaim money stolen from Ms. Woods.
During their relationship, Acklom falsely presented himself as a Swiss banker and an MI6 agent. Over the past five years, Bristol Crown Court has conducted multiple hearings to determine the extent of Acklom’s criminal gains and identify recoverable assets.
READ MORE: Cotswolds Comedian Returns Home After Five Months Detained in Turkey Over Shoplifting Allegation
READ MORE: Bird Flu Outbreak Confirmed in Gloucestershire Following Canada Goose Death
At a recent hearing, Judge Martin Picton was informed that Acklom’s benefit from his crimes totaled £710,000, with prosecutors seeking to recover £261,000. Acklom’s barrister, John Burton KC, requested a postponement, citing Acklom’s need to care for his seriously ill wife hospitalized in Spain and his responsibilities towards their two children aged 14 and 16. Burton also requested Acklom be allowed to give evidence via video-link after the New Year to stay by his wife’s side.
Judge Picton rejected the delay, acknowledging the defendant’s circumstances but emphasizing the court’s readiness to accommodate him without postponement. “He is in a fit state to give evidence, if he chooses to do so,” the judge stated, highlighting that availability adjustments could be made.
Concerns were raised by prosecuting counsel John Hardy KC about Acklom testifying remotely from Spain instead of in person at Bristol Crown Court. Hardy noted, “There is no effective sanction allowing him to be prosecuted should he lie under oath, as he has done on many occasions. He is a dishonest rogue.” The judge added that any confiscation order enforcement hinges on Acklom returning to the UK jurisdiction.
Acklom’s barrister responded that Acklom would comply with any confiscation order if he returned to the UK, whether voluntarily or by circumstances such as flight diversion. Although several witnesses, including a financial investigator, were expected to testify during the ongoing two-day hearing, no evidence was presented on the first day.
Acklom’s criminal history includes fleeing Spain midway through a three-year fraud sentence in 2016. Investigations revealed he orchestrated a lengthy romance fraud from 2012, exploiting his then-girlfriend’s trust. After being recaptured in Switzerland, he was extradited to the UK and imprisoned in 2019.
UK financial investigators have found Acklom has available assets totaling nearly £262,000. Meanwhile, Spanish authorities ordered compensation payments of over €227,000 plus interest in 2015, of which Acklom has paid only just over €36,000, partly securing his bail.
Acklom’s fraudulent activities date back to his teenage years, including a 1991 conviction for a £466,000 mortgage fraud when he posed as a City stockbroker at age 16. He also committed credit card theft, defrauded a former teacher, and accrued a significant charge with a private jet company.
The confiscation hearing is set to continue the following day.