Marvin and Craig Brooks - The truth
In June 2019 It was reported by The City of London Police that brothers Craig Brooks 37 and Marvin Brooks 36, from Sutton Coldfield, were convicted at Birmingham Crown Court for their involvement in two companies, Bric Global and City Gate capital. It is claimed these were investment scams in carbon credits and rare earth metals.
This report was picked up by various media outlets and subsequently published.
However, it has come to light that Mr Craig Brooks and his team have been embroiled in a dispute with the Press. Evidence suggests that the outcome of the case has seriously been misreported. One member of the Craig Brooks team confirmed to us that this trial at Birmingham Crown Court was a retrial and the Brooks Brothers had already had a trial on allegations of conspiracy to defraud at the Old Bailey in February 2017. That charge was dropped on the 2nd of May 2019 when the case was listed for retrial, It's been confirmed by the court that the prosecution led by Mr Andrew Bailey QC and the CPS agreed with Mr Craig and Marvin Brooks to accept their plea of guilty to a single offence of engaging in a commercial practice contrary to regulation six of the consumer protection from unfair trading regulations 2008 CPUTR.
Documents obtained from the court demonstrate the particulars of the offence concerned a failure to tell consumers that the investment products could not be resold on the open market without being bundled together with other consumers. Importantly, the Judge in one case, His Honour judge Carr, who passed sentence accepted, the offence was concerned with an omission to provide information and no more than that. In stark contrast to the reports by the media, The judge also accepted there was no fraudulent behaviour in the selling of the investments. He also conceded dishonesty was not a factor. The observations made by the judge completely contradict the report from the papers.
Judge Carr, who passed sentence accepted, the offence was concerned with omission to provide information and no more than that. The Judge also accepted there was no fraudulent behaviour in the selling of the investments and that dishonesty was not a factor. The observations made by the Judge which seemed to contradict the report from the papers relating to both of the Brooks Brothers. In another surprising revelation, a source has confirmed that the prosecution was set to rely on evidence of Mr Andrew Ager, a discredited expert in carbon credits, who gave evidence at the Brooks first trial at the Old Bailey In 2017. It was reported by The Times that Mr Ager had been working as an expert witness at Crown Court at a trial in which eight defendants were involved in the sale of carbon credits, a similar setup to that of Bric Global.
During this trial, it was proven that Mr Ager was no expert, had no qualifications and had been taken directions from police officers as to what to submit as evidence. As reported by The Times, DC Walker told Mr Ager what to say, and has been alleged to have signed off a report by Mr Ager.
The officers in the case are now subject to investigation and Mr Ager is now facing criminal prosecution and the outcome of his trial brings into question the 20 other cases where he has acted as an expert. Surprisingly, in court transcripts obtained from the Brooks trial, Mr Ager was used as a point of reference by the prosecutor Andrew Bailey QC, even in the sentencing arguments.
The mother of the Brooks Brothers Mrs Deborah Brooks 58 was very upset with the way the case has been reported and the effect it has had on the family and in Sutton Coldfield.
She said, "My boys have fought this case for the last seven years, and only agreed to plead guilty on the lesser charge, as they thought it was the best for the family". She continued "They are full brothers, and they were wrongly reported as half brothers by the COLP. My Boys lost their Dad and then 5 months later Marvins Wife, Laura Brooks 37, died in August 2017 of bowel cancer, leaving behind three children aged 16, 8 and 6. It was just really hard to read the lies from the police and the papers, which we knew were just to make themselves look better. But at least it's all over now"
Checking the news reports from the COLP and other media outlets. It has been noted that there have been recent corrections made and removal of various Twitter and Instagram posts, although not as much as the Brooks brothers might like. There has been little comment from the COLP, but this may be due to the fact that there is another court hearing for this case listed for the 5th of August 2019 at Birmingham Crown Court, this hearing is to discuss the company funds in Bric Global, which have been held by the City of London Police for the last seven years, a total of nearly half a million pounds. To date, no funds have been returned to investors and surprisingly, a source has confirmed the COLP will be applying to keep all of the funds under the proceeds of crime act.
In email correspondence obtained which discuss the company funds and the behaviour of Craig and Marvin Brooks statements are made contradictory to what was reported. Emily Banahan a media and publications Officer for the COLP says there is no implication that the defendants were involved in a miss appropriation of company funds or that the defendants were acting improperly or dishonesty. Both Craig and Marvin Brooks have no previous criminal convictions and Craig has a blemish-free record on the FCA register where he is registered as a financial advisor.
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