Chappell’s BHS appeal suffers as he cannot pay solicitors

THE former owner of collapsed high street giant BHS has made a botched bid to clear his name because he could not afford to pay his own solicitors in the case.

Dominic Chappell, 51, is appealing against a conviction for failing to provide the pensions watchdog with vital documents. Yesterday, Chappell, a former racing driver, launched his appeal in an attempt to repair his “tarnished reputation”.

But Hove Crown Court, East Sussex, heard solicitors had been unable to make headway with the case because Chappell could not afford to pay them.

Michael Levy, defending, said: “Mr Chappell does not have legal aid and funding has always been a difficulty.”

He said that after Chappell was convicted in January he could not instruct solicitors because he did not have any money to do so.

Mr Levy told judge Christine Henson QC: “It’s pathetic, I know, but this is why I am not in a position to give your honour the detail you require.”

Mr Levy said he wanted to call “three or four witnesses” as part of the appeal, as only calling Chappell in the original case in January was “not satisfactory”.

Chappell, of Blandford Forum, Dorset, did not take the stand and declined to comment after the hearing.

The thrice bankrupt businessman, who had no previous retail experience, bought the high street chain from billionaire Sir Philip Green for just £1 in March 2015.

The company crashed, with the loss of 11,000 jobs, 13 months later, leaving a pensions black hole of around £571m.

In January he was convicted and fined £50,000 with £37,000 costs after being found guilty of failing to disclose vital details to the pensions watchdog as part of its investigation into the collapse of the high street chain.

The following month, he was also hit with a bill of around £10m by the Pensions Regulator as it attempted to claw back money for the pension scheme.