British fraudster will not attend court in person for confiscation hearing

A notorious British fraudster who was jailed in the UK after conning an ex-girlfriend out of £300,000 will not attend court in person for his confiscation hearing.

Mark Acklom, 52, previously admitted five counts of fraud against Carolyn Woods, from Gloucestershire, and was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison in 2019.

He was extradited to Spain in 2021 – having fled the country in 2016 during a fraud sentence – and served a further two years in prison before his release in 2023.

Since his guilty pleas in England, prosecutors have been using Proceeds of Crime Act (Poca) legislation in an attempt to recover the money stolen from Ms Woods.

During their relationship, Acklom posed as a Swiss banker and an MI6 agent.

Over the past five years, there have been a series of hearing at Bristol Crown Court to establish Acklom’s criminal benefit and available assets.

A final hearing, lasting for two days and before Judge Martin Picton, has now been listed for December 18 and 19 this year.

On Tuesday, barristers for the prosecution and defence, as well as Acklom, appeared via video link for a hearing in the case.

Acklom was not visible on screen and no details were given of his location, although he has a wife and two children living in Spain.

He spoke only to confirm he was present, replying: “Yes sir” to the court clerk when asked.

Judge Picton – who jailed Acklom in 2019 – asked whether the defendant would be attending the final hearing in person.

Martin Sharpe, representing Acklom, replied: “He will attend remotely in the same way he has done today but with the benefit of a screen.

“He will attend from a video conference room at a legal firm. I don’t have the specifics to hand as of yet but your honour and the prosecution can be assured that the defendant will attend but he will attend remotely.”

Fiona Jackson, prosecuting, asked for the details of Acklom’s arrangements to be provided to the court and Crown Prosecution Service.

Judge Picton agreed, directing that this should happen by October 31.

The court was told a number of witnesses will give evidence during the two-day hearing, including a financial investigator.

Acklom fled Spain in 2016, midway through a three-year fraud sentence, after being temporarily released when he applied for parole.

He was already wanted by Avon and Somerset Police for scamming Ms Woods, his then-girlfriend, out of her life savings in a romance fraud that began in 2012.

The fugitive was later tracked to Switzerland and extradited to Britain in 2019, when he was jailed for five years and eight months.

Previously, the court heard that UK financial investigators have concluded Acklom had available funds of almost £262,000.

Spanish authorities have made confiscation orders valued at 374,000 euro (around £325,000) against Acklom.

In 1991, Acklom, then aged 16, was given a four-year custodial sentence for a £466,000 mortgage fraud after posing as a City stockbroker.

He also spent £11,000 after stealing his father’s credit card, swindled a former teacher out of £13,000, and ran up a £34,000 bill with a private charter jet company.