British Fraudster On The Run In Thailand

[sriracha john]

Suzanne Millns, who was jailed at York Crown Court

Trickster on the run in Thailand

A fraudster is on the run in Thailand for allegedly exploiting a 71-year-old pensioner as part of a £45,000 benefits scam, York Crown Court heard.

But Mark Craven’s girlfriend, Suzanne Millns, is starting a jail term for running his affairs while he was out of the country and forging tenancy agreements as she cheated the taxpayer.

Jim Withyman, prosecuting, said Craven and friends bought several properties in York and Bradford and then allegedly got people he knew to stay in the houses and falsely claim benefit on the grounds he was their landlord.

He had since fled to Thailand and a warrant was out for his arrest.

The residents included Frank Firth, 71, whose physical and mental health was so poor he did not give a prosecution statement until after he spent two months in a care home. He did not get a penny of the £12,000 the fraudsters claimed in his name, though City of York Council investigators have since managed to get him £10,000 of the money he should have got.

“Mark Craven is obviously a very devious man who has exploited a number of situations and has voluntarily made a decision to get out of the way of the authorities,” the Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashurst said.

Sentencing Millns, he told her: “The involvement of Mr Firth was quite appalling. He was vulnerable.”

Craven, with her help, had assumed responsibility for him, the court was told.

“It wasn’t to care for him. It was simply to use him as a vehicle for fraud and he was exploited,” said the judge.

Millns, 33, formerly of Bellhouse Way, Foxwood, and now of Herrick Drive, Worksop, Notts, pleaded guilty to 11 charges of benefit fraud committed between September 2003 and November 2007. She collapsed crying in the dock as she was jailed for nine months.

Mr Withyman said she was living with Craven, but falsely claimed housing benefit, council tax benefit and income support on the grounds he was her landlord and she was a single mother.

The fraud started at a Bradford address, and she then moved to addresses in Eaton Close, Foxwood and Bellhouse Way, York, continuing her fraud.

Mr Firth also lived in Eaton Court.

For Millns, Geraldine Kelly said Craven was a violent man who made her take part in his crimes by violence and threats against her and her family. “She was under his control. She was genuinely scared of this man,” she said. The court was told his violence had driven her to attempt suicide and she had only received £10 or £20 pocket money from him while he kept the rest of the fraud proceeds.

- The Press (York, UK) / 2008-10-20

Edited October 20, 2008 by sriracha john

[sriracha john]

Suzanne Millns... not being familiar with Yorkshire surnames, is that correct or is the paper repeatedly missing a vowel...or two?

Edited October 21, 2008 by sriracha john

[Toany]

Perhaps Thailand could swap them for the return of Taksin?

[animatic]

Maybe let old blighty keep them both... incommunicado of course.

[dumball]

Seems the old guy got off light , although i feel real sorry for him , considering what old guys get taken for in Thailand , plus he is still alive to tell the tale , what a scheming pair of reprobates .

[TexasRanger]

She will have plenty of competition for that scam over here, they invented it then perfected it.....

[jdinasia]

Seems the old guy got off light , although i feel real sorry for him , considering what old guys get taken for in Thailand , plus he is still alive to tell the tale , what a scheming pair of reprobates .

Compared to what happens in Cambodia is what you mean, isn't it?

Where's the pic of the guy so we know who to get to pay for drinks when we see him out and about?

[Moruya]

It'll be very interesting if the BIBs catch him.

Imagine the Brits applying for the extradition of their trickster in Thailand whilst the Thais are applying for the extradition of their trickster in England...

[Dave the Dude]

Where's the pic of the guy so we know who to get to pay for drinks when we see him out and about?

Doubtful if you will ever see one, jdasia, unfortunetly in the UK there is a Human Rights Act which protects/pampers/monitors the living conditions of Criminals BUT FORGETS ABOUT VICTIMS

CRIME PAYS, ITS A FACT

[Paulab]

Craven to the Haven? (Pattaya, Thailand, no doubt!) a haven of crooks and fraudsters, all protecting one another! They need a taste of the Bangkok Hotel for a long long stretch thats what I say ! dont want them in the UK living in luxury custody, and us paying for it AGAIN ! low lifes.

[dumball]

Seems the old guy got off light , although i feel real sorry for him , considering what old guys get taken for in Thailand , plus he is still alive to tell the tale , what a scheming pair of reprobates .

Compared to what happens in Cambodia is what you mean, isn't it?

Where's the pic of the guy so we know who to get to pay for drinks when we see him out and about?

No JD , i was in fact refering to 'In Thailand ' , To my knowledge , ex pats are treated well in Cambodia , i was never asked for , nor did i pay , the equivilent of 'Sin Sod ' , nor have i been expected to support my wifes family . However , in all due respect , i have raised their living standards considerably by implementing self sufficiency methods into their daily regimen , i have supplied the means and they do the work , for what they now receive as much higher returns on their labour .

How do i post a pic , i tried once and failed miserably , i can strip your motor-cycle to the last nut and bolt , re-assemle it and it will run much more efficiently than it did when new , i can performance the engine to make the machine stand on end , but computer literate i am not .

[sriracha john]

If you have a photo of the the British fraudster Mark Craven with a verifiable source, PM it to me and I'll post it.

Edited October 31, 2008 by sriracha john

[Lucifer]

''British Fraudster On The Run In Thailand'' ....That's half the farrang population of Pattaya.

[phaethon]

Suzanne Millns... not being familiar with Yorkshire surnames, is that correct or is the paper repeatedly missing a vowel...or two?

English name alright - remember A. A. Miln, author of Winnie the Pooh, born in London.

[phaethon]

If you have a photo of the the British fraudster Mark Craven with a verifiable source, PM it to me and I'll post it.

Not a good idea as the slightest risk of the wrong picture being posted could land TV in trouble. Safer to wait until he shows up in an online newspaper report or a police (Interpol) 'wanted' site then post the link.

[sriracha john]

Suzanne Millns... not being familiar with Yorkshire surnames, is that correct or is the paper repeatedly missing a vowel...or two?

English name alright - remember A. A. Miln, author of Winnie the Pooh, born in London.

Thank you... and yes, the author Miln was the first name that came to mind, but I hadn't encountered a Millns before...

I do understand Yorkshire can be rather economically depressed and thought perhaps they simply couldn't afford sufficient vowels...

[sriracha john]

If you have a photo of the the British fraudster Mark Craven with a verifiable source, PM it to me and I'll post it.

Not a good idea as the slightest risk of the wrong picture being posted could land TV in trouble. Safer to wait until he shows up in an online newspaper report or a police (Interpol) 'wanted' site then post the link.

hence "verifiable".... I've not had a problem of that nature in the literally thousands of photos I've posted here.

[dumball]

Sorry , i should have been more specific , i did not mean a photo of the fraud but of myself , so that JD can recognise me in the bar next time i visit Thailand , we had been crossing swords for no justifiable reason , i personaly dislike confrontation , but can kick as good as the next guy when aroused . Apologies to all on TV , this is a good forum which keeps my ageing brain on its toes , i am a 2 finger tyepist so mistakes come with that i am afraid , i write ad-lib and what you get you get straight from my heart , good , bad or indifferent , that , in my opinion , is an opinion .

[sylviex]

In fact, the author's name is A.A. Milne.

"Millns" seems reasonably common, if googled. Appears there are quite a few Mark Cravens, too.

[ourmaninbangers]

It'll be very interesting if the BIBs catch him.

Imagine the Brits applying for the extradition of their trickster in Thailand whilst the Thais are applying for the extradition of their trickster in England...

why would the brits want them back,the brits are quite smart- did you know they DO NOT want their crooks back. They encourage their crooks to leave the UK,unless its a big, personal case

crooks inside Uk costs UK tax moneys, outside they are somone else problem

[Maigo6]

Millns, 33, formerly of Bellhouse Way, Foxwood, and now of Herrick Drive, Worksop, Notts, pleaded guilty to 11 charges of benefit fraud committed between September 2003 and November 2007. She collapsed crying in the dock as she was jailed for nine months.

Collapsed crying ?

9 months actually equals 4.5 months, any sentence under 4 years is automatically halved if you behave yourself.

She's a fraudster , so after a week or two in a local prison, she'll be shipped out to a Catagory ' D ' open prison for a few weeks, then in all probability will do the last month or 2 at home with an electronic tag attached to her leg, meaning she is free until 7 pm everyday to do what she wants, then sit at home watching TV or whatever else she wants to do at home for the evening. Hardly a sentence worth crying about in my books.

Better hope she never gets sentenced for a crime in this part of the world, she'll have an heart attack in the dock.

[dumball]

Hey maigo6 , you have a certain comedy even in your serious side , read the serious side then had a belly laugh .