Sunday Times

Naidoo became Barton, got rich and went to jail

- By SUTHENTIRA GOVENDER

● For years, British nursing home boss David Barton, 63, lived the high life, enjoying jaunts abroad, a garage full of fast, fancy cars and a string of luxurious properties.

But it turns out that Barton — who left his former home town of Durban with his family in the 1960s as Ramamurthi­e Dasaratha Naidoo, married a UK citizen and transforme­d himself into a British millionair­e — was nothing more than a conman.

The high life came at the expense of wealthy pensioners entrusted to his care at his Barton Park nursing home at Southport near Liverpool.

Barton was recently sentenced to 21 years in prison following one of the longest jury trials in English legal history after it emerged that the former South African’s caring demeanour with the frail residents was merely a ruse to siphon millions of pounds out of them over 16 years.

He was found guilty in the Liverpool Crown Court of four counts of conspiracy to defraud, one count of fraud, three counts of theft, false accounting and transferri­ng criminal property.

Rosemary Booth, who was the general manager of the nursing home, has been jailed for six years for her part in the conspiracy to defraud.

Detectives at Merseyside Police in Liverpool cracked the complex case after three years of investigat­ion into fraud worth £4m.

The Bartons were arrested in 2014 after documents and computers were seized by the police.

“As Barton’s activities and finances were probed, the investigat­ion identified a total of six victims who had been defrauded of millions of pounds.”

Police said most were women who had recently lost their husbands, were wealthy and had no dependants.

Detective Inspector Jon Smith, who led the investigat­ion, said: “For 16 years David Barton preyed upon wealthy, elderly people ... bleeding them of their hard-earned savings

and enjoying a lavish lifestyle of fast cars, holidays and multiple properties.

“Barton ruthlessly groomed his victims, gaining their trust and confidence to such an extent that when we spoke to his victims, some found it very difficult to accept that they were victims. These were people who had worked hard all their lives, only for David Barton to step in, pretend to have their best interests at heart — then take thousands and thousands of pounds of their money.”

Presiding judge Steven Everett described Barton as a “despicably greedy man”.

“I’m quite sure the person you cared for the most is no one but yourself, not even your family, with your insatiable appetite for fancy cars and building your empire,” said Everett.

Barton’s wife is also facing charges.

 ?? Picture: Merseyside Police ?? David Barton, who left his home town of Durban as Ramamurthi­e Dasaratha Naidoo, and Barton Park Nursing Home in Southport in England.
Picture: Merseyside Police David Barton, who left his home town of Durban as Ramamurthi­e Dasaratha Naidoo, and Barton Park Nursing Home in Southport in England.
 ??  ?? David Barton’s fleet of cars
David Barton’s fleet of cars

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