NewsBytes
    Hindi Tamil Telugu
    More
    In the news
    Narendra Modi
    Amit Shah
    Box Office Collection
    Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
    OTT releases
    Hindi Tamil Telugu
    NewsBytes
    User Placeholder

    Hi,

    Logout

    India
    Business
    World
    Politics
    Sports
    Technology
    Entertainment
    Auto
    Lifestyle
    Inspirational
    Career
    Bengaluru
    Delhi
    Mumbai

    Download Android App

    Follow us on
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
    Home / News / World News / Fraudster flees UK asking flying-instructor to drop him to France
    Next Article
    Fraudster flees UK asking flying-instructor to drop him to France

    Fraudster flees UK asking flying-instructor to drop him to France

    By Garima Bora
    Nov 14, 2018
    11:34 pm

    What's the story

    Con men on screens have been impressing us with their style since time immemorial.

    Their disguised yet breezy lifestyle, their skill of getting away every time with ease, raise the level of 'thug life'.

    In one such incident, a fraudster in the UK managed to flee the country by booking a flying lesson and convincing the instructor to drop him off to France.

    Details

    Man was a fugitive, convicted of £1 million VAT scam

    Fugitive James Colwell, 51, was convicted of £1mn VAT scam along with his father, Brian.

    While on bail, James came up with a well-devised plan to flee the country.

    He first arranged a driver to drive his father to France via Dover in his new Porsche Cayenne.

    The driver then returned, bringing back with him Brian's passport for his son to use.

    Escape

    Man books flying lessons using father's name

    James then booked a flying lesson in east Kent in his father's name.

    When the light aircraft entered French airspace, he convinced the instructor to drop him to land at an airfield in the Pas-de-Calais region and let him out.

    He then met his father and the duo fled to Malaga in Spain.

    Little did they know their vacation was about to end soon.

    Arrest

    Duo makes silly mistake, gets arrested by HMRC

    It seems that the duo wasn't so bright after all.

    They hired the same driver to move their furniture in Costa Del Sol who drove James's father to France.

    Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs launched an investigation when the pair failed to re-appear for a hearing.

    They tracked down the rental van's journey to an address in Spain and arrested the duo in May.

    Sentence

    UK court adds six months to existing sentence of James

    Last week, a UK court added six months to the prison sentence of James for breach of bail.

    James was sentenced to over five years of prison and his father for three years.

    It is true that cons often steal the show with their subtle deceptive skills, but all it takes is one mistake and you're behind the bars (again).

    Facebook
    Whatsapp
    Twitter
    Linkedin
    Related News
    Latest
    France

    Latest

    IPL 2025: Can CSK finish on high against high-flying GT?  Gujarat Titans
    Gujarat man arrested for sharing BSF, IAF information to Pakistan Aadhaar
    Arjan Bajwa remembers Mukul Dev; reveals they were planning collaboration Bollywood Films
    'He reached out early': Agarkar on Virat Kohli's Test retirement  Virat Kohli

    France

    France's Emmanuel Macron arrives in India, gets Modi's hug India
    Harsimrat urges PM to discuss turban laws with French president Emmanuel Macron
    France shooting: Gunman shoots policeman; hostages taken at a supermarket ISIS
    French officer who swapped places with a hostage passes away ISIS
    Indian Premier League (IPL) Celebrity Hollywood Bollywood UEFA Champions League Tennis Football Smartphones Cryptocurrency Upcoming Movies Premier League Cricket News Latest automobiles Latest Cars Upcoming Cars Latest Bikes Upcoming Tablets
    About Us Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Contact Us Ethical Conduct Grievance Redressal News News Archive Topics Archive Download DevBytes Find Cricket Statistics
    Follow us on
    Facebook Twitter Linkedin
    All rights reserved © NewsBytes 2025