Wales Illegal Money Lending Unit Secures Nearly £10,000 For Loan Shark Victims

LOAN SHARK Lynn Mansel Davies, 58, from Greenwood Road, Melyn, Neath was at Cardiff Crown Court last Friday for sentencing, following a guilty plea to two counts of illegal money lending on September 23rd to five victims over a seven year period. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Wales Illegal Lending Unit was made aware of this criminal activity through an anonymous call to their hotline telephone number claiming that Lynn Mansel Davies was lending money illegally – without a Consumer Credit Licence – and charging £500 interest on every £1000 he lent to his victims. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The five victims were often charged a rate of £50 a week for every £140 lent, but the court learned that the interest charged could sometimes be ‘random’ depending on how much he thought he could ‘fleece from his victims’. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cash transactions via the bank were kept to under £5000 so that these cash withdrawals were not deemed as suspicions by the Authorities. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The court heard that Lynn Mansel Davies was using a property in Briton Ferry, owned by Terry Davies, who was described as a ‘slow and very vulnerable man who couldn’t read or write’ to stash his cash from his crimes, while running a thriving car business and receiving significant state benefits. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

His bullying behaviour was raised in court, especially in relation to his daughter, as through an eye witness account – the court heard that when she couldn’t pay her father, Lynn Mansel Davies told her that he would ‘smash her boyfriend’s head in if its wasn’t paid in that day.’ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

During the time of the offending, Lynn Mansel Davies received £1, 656 a month through state benefits as well as having free use of a mobility car from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). The court was given to understand that a separate investigation is ongoing into the benefit payments by the DWP during the time of the offending. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Stephen Grey, Investigations Manager for the Wales Illegal Money Lending Unit, said:
“Although the Unit always hopes that every loan shark that is brought in front of the courts receives an immediate custodial sentence, in this instance, the sentencing has been deferred for six months until compensation has been paid back to his victims. If he pays the £9,715 to the five victims in 6 months, he could get a suspended jail term. If he doesn’t pay, he will be spending quite some time behind bars. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“In court today, we heard a variety of evidence from eye witness accounts on this man’s character, a man that deliberately deceives people and uses bullying and aggressive behaviour. Loan Sharks are the worst type of criminal, they may not operate on a commercial scale but their criminal activity is often targeted at the most vulnerable in society. Never borrow money from loan sharks – it is the worst possible option.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Lynn Mansel Davies will appear at the Crown Court for the deferred sentencing on Friday March 17, 2017. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​