Now the family faces ruin
Why a good man's actions can leave you in the wilderness
WHEN Geoff was arrested and banged up in Brixton Prison on remand, his family were scared but hopeful that the criminal justice system would save him. When he was convicted they were left on their knees, but little did they know that there was more horror to come. Geoff first married 38 years ago. Marlene would become the mother of his two daughters and the four lived in a house in Middlesex, with Geoff working all hours as a driver to meet the mortgage payments. It didn’t work out between them and after 12 years they divorced.
Marlene has a form of mental illness called circumstantial schizophrenia. It means she can be confused and anxious and, without her medication, she is prone to paranoia and hallucinations. When they separated, Geoff moved into a friend’s home and Marlene stayed in the matrimonial home where recently died. He could have put the house on the market and split the equity but he wanted his first wife to be as safe and secure as possible. Geoff kept his name on the deeds of the property, largely to ensure that Marlene didn’t do anything ill-advised such as trying to sell the house when she was suffering a mental health episode or even give it away.
Up until his arrest, Marlene would telephone Geoff if she was suffering from confusion or anxiety and he would help her calm down. At no point did he sever all ties with his first wife. Then, five years ago [CHECK] Marlene needed a small amount of help with the house so Geoff began once more contributing to the mortgage. Little could he know that this act of kindness would lead to a mental health patient faced with losing her home – the sole point of security in her life, the existence of which meant she could lead a relatively independent and self-sufficient life. Because when the financial investigator found he had been making contributions to the house, the CPS said it was part of his assets and therefore they wanted it – threatening the security of one of society’s most vulnerable individuals.
And it wasn’t just Marlene. The house he owns with his current wife, Gillian – who he married in 1986 [CHECK] – is also up for grabs, as is the small apartment they own in Spain, the pension he has been contributing towards for their future and their savings. The future of his business is also uncertain, along with the livelihoods of his 13 employees. In total, they want almost £2.2million. Nothing, it seems, is safe.
And just to show how twisted this situation is, because his co-defendants don’t have two beans to call their own – the CPS demand £10 from one and £5 from the other. At the time of writing, the outcome of the confiscation order is unknown. There will be negotiations between the CPS and Geoff’s defence team and solicitors engaged on Marlene and Gillian’s behalf. If a figure cannot be agreed, it will be argued in court and the trial judge asked to make a decision. It could be reasonable to assume that his decision will be as humane as the law allows, and that Geoff’s family will not be placed in any more jeopardy, but nothing has gone Geoff’s way so far – so he has no reason to think that it will in the future.
Geoff has since, won the confiscation order, details of which you can find on the update pages.