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Gang try to sell Ritz hotel for £250million
Peter Dominiczak04.08.09
Three men have appeared in court accused of fraud after allegedly plotting to sell' the Ritz Hotel for £250 million.
Patrick Dolan, 67, Conn Farrell, 56, and 48-year-old lorry driver Anthony Lee, allegedly offered the historic property in Piccadilly to businessman Terry Collins.
Prosecutors claim Mr Collins lost a £1 million deposit during a series of negotiations in 2006, when the hotel was valued at £600 million. The trio are said to have wrongly claimed they were in the process of buying the exclusive Barclay brothers-owned building for £200 million. They appeared for a preliminary hearing at Southwark Crown Court yesterday where they spoke only to confirm their identities.
Judge Geoffrey Rivlin QC allowed them bail on condition of residence ahead of a further hearing on 2 October, when they are expected to enter pleas.
The judge also fixed a provisional trial date for 3 May, next year.
Dolan, of Tottenham, north London, Farrell, of Leatherhead, Surrey, and Lee, of Goole, North Yorkshire, each face a charge of conspiracy to defraud.
