Bath property developer Shane Davies is no fraudster, says defence team

The defence team in the trial of a property developer from Bath have insisted he is no fraudster.

Shane Davies, 40, who used to live in Bath but now lives at New Terrace, in Staverton, Trowbridge, is accused of masterminding an extensive housing fraud scheme to fund a holiday home project in Thailand.

Davies, his mother Sheila Davies, 59, of Raby Place, Bathwick, and two others, 43-year-old Karl Manning, of The Brow, in Twerton, and 38-year-old Jason Ford, of Redland Park, Twerton, are all on trial at Bristol Crown Court.

The prosecution alleges they were involved, in varying degrees, in an 11-year scheme to falsify mortgage applications to borrow money and buy houses around the city and further afield.

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It says these properties were then rented out, and the income used to help pay for Mr Davies’ building development in Thailand.

But Jamas Hodivala, defending, said: “Shane Davies’ case is that he has nothing to do with the submission of the mortgage applications. He has had many satisfied customers from the building work he has done, and he maintained a number of properties, even winning an award for his work. Shane Davies is not a fraudster, he is a hard-working builder who works hard in life in helping to renovate the properties, let them out, and maintain them.”

The jury has been shown copies of financial documents, including mortgage applications to various banks, which the prosecution says were falsified to mislead lenders and secure loans.

All four defendants are facing charges of conspiracy to defraud, together with three other men, who are not on trial, between January 2000 and January 2011.

All four defendants deny the charges and the trial is expected to go on until early March.