A former Norfolk estate agent has appeared in court facing 19 charges of fraud by false representation totalling approximately £50,000, according to reports from the Eastern Daily Press.
Victoria Steele, 51, who was sole director and shareholder of Swaffham-based eHomes between November 2011 and June 2018, is accused of withholding landlord rental payments and failing to secure tenant deposits within Government-approved protection schemes.
Multiple complainants
The case emerged after up to 40 complainants contacted Norfolk Police and national fraud reporting service Action Fraud. Among those affected were a landlord undergoing cancer treatment and a Methodist church, with individual losses ranging from £690 to more than £4,100.
Prosecutor Katherine Newsom described a “significant number of complainants” at Norwich Magistrates’ Court and characterised the evidence as extensive and financially complex. All charges relate to the period when Steele operated eHomes, formerly known as Prestige Properties Limited.
Implications for the sector
The case highlights ongoing concerns about landlord compliance failures and tenant deposit protection requirements. The alleged offences occurred during a period when regulatory oversight of the lettings sector was undergoing reform.
Steele entered no pleas at the magistrates’ court hearing. Magistrates ruled the case exceeded their sentencing powers and committed it to Norwich Crown Court, where a plea and trial preparation hearing is scheduled for 19 June. The court heard that the sentencing starting point if found guilty is 18 months in prison.
Similar cases have resulted in substantial penalties for agents and landlords, with recent examples including fines reaching £91,000 for compliance breaches.
eHomes closed its Swaffham premises in 2018 and was formally dissolved via Companies House in April 2019. The total amount allegedly defrauded is £47,685, according to court reports. Steele was released on unconditional bail.