Ex-BHS owner trying to rewrite history, court told

The appeal against former BHS owner Dominic Chappell pensions convictions, heard that lawyers acting on his behalf should not be allowed to "muddy the water" with irrelevant information. 

 

Three times-bankrupt Chappell. 51, was found guilty in January of failing to provide information to the Pensions Regulator (TPR) about the firm's pensions schemes when it collapsed with the loss of thousands of jobs and ordered to pay more than £87,000 including £50,000 fine. 

 

Opening TPR's case at an appeal hearing at Hove crown court on Monday, the barrister Alex Stein said he did not want the proceedings to be hijacked by attempts to enter into evidence information that was irrelevant to the charges in question.

 

He said: "An attempt to muddy the water and draw in irrelevant material is nothing more than a cynical attempt to rewrite history."

 

Chappell, bought British Home Stores for £1 from the billionaire Sir Philip Green in March 2015. BHS went into administration in April 2016, leaving a £571m pension deficit. Green later agreed to pay £363m towards this.

 

The self-described entrepreneur was issued with two notices known as section 72s under the Pensions Act 2004, in March and April 2016, before being handed a warning notice in November that year. Chappell, claimed he did "everything and more" to help the regulator. But he was prosecuted and found guilty of three charges after a four-day trial.

 

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