Niall McCulloch and Mairi Innes have successfully obtained the appointment of the provisional liquidators (Jason Ainge and Paul Stanley of Begbies Traynor, along with Rob Armstrong of Kroll) as liquidators in the compulsory winding up of a company suspected of involvement in a substantial and complex labour supply fraud with an international element.
On 5 May 2022, Niall McCulloch (before James Pickering KC, sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge) successfully obtained an order for the provisional liquidation of Goddington Pierce Limited (“the Company”). The Company had received significant sums from various connected “umbrella” companies (including some £4.8 million from the Petitioner, Parrot Pay Limited (in Liquidation)) which are suspected to be the proceeds of a large labour supply fraud perpetrated on HMRC.
On 24 October, HHJ Paul Matthews (sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge) ordered that the Company (which had vigorously pursued but ultimately abandoned an application to discharge the provisional liquidation) be placed into compulsory liquidation and that the Provisional Liquidators be appointed as the Joint Liquidators of the Company along with Rob Armstrong of Kroll. The decision will allow the office holders to continue to investigate the suspected fraudulent activity and for potential recoveries to be made for the benefit of creditors, including HMRC, which supported the Petition.
Niall McCulloch and Mairi Innes acted for the successful Petitioner (acting by its Liquidators) and the Provisional Liquidators, Jason Ainge and Paul Stanley of Begbies Traynor, and were instructed by Chris Keane and Keir Merrick of Clarke Willmott LLP.
