‘I’ve been made the scapegoat’ — Allen
Reporter: Court Reporter
Date published: 21 May 2010
Kitchens fiasco: Suspended boss loses court bid
SUSPENDED trading standards boss Tony Allen, whose flawed legal action against kitchen gangster Vance Miller left Oldham Council with a £4 million bill, told a court the fallout from the botched case would end his career.
Mr Allen was suspended after a fraud case he led against the notorious business man was thrown out by a judge.
He has now lost a high court bid for a judicial review into the “severe criticism” of him by Judge Jonathan Foster QC at the trial.
Mr Allen (38) told the high court hearing in Manchester there was pressure on Oldham Council to use him as a “scapegoat” for the collapse of the case.
He said the consequences of Judge Foster’s ruling are politically and financially “enormous”.
He added: “In fact, the net effect of Judge Foster’s ruling, the damage to the reputation of the council, means that the council is faced with having to try to find something upon which it can conceivably justify summary dismissal — in other words, to make me a scapegoat.”
He said an ongoing investigation had cleared him of four allegations in Judge Foster’s ruling and the probe was now reviewing two others matters.
But he added: “The unwarranted personal implications of the court ruling, combined with the unfounded press speculation will in effect, if allowed to stand, almost certainly lead to the termination of my career.”
Mr Miller, who had faced three counts of conspiracy to defraud, was accused of selling “high-quality” kitchens that were in fact made of chipboard and MDF.
But Judge Foster threw out the case at Manchester Crown Court.
He said Mr Allen’s “desire” to close down the business led him to “lose his objectivity”.
He found no evidence that Mr Miller had defrauded customers of his Oldham firm, Kitchens, and said he could not rely on Mr Allen’s evidence.
Mr Miller’s co-defendants, Nichola Brodie (33), Sadiya Hussain (29) and Alan Ford (45) were also cleared.
Mr Allen told Mr Justice Langstaff at the high court that he had been subjected to “public condemnation” by Judge Foster.
But Mr Justice Langstaff dismissed Mr Allen’s claim, saying the court had no jurisdiction to consider it.
He said Oldham Cuncil had ample opportunity to appeal after Judge Foster threw out the case and said there was very clear public interest in a judge being able to express his views.
The investigation, triggered by a raid on Mr Miller’s Cardwell Street mill complex, cost £2.1 million.
Mr Miller and his co-defendants are considering further action to recoup loss of earnings, which could take the bill faced by Oldham council to £4 million.
