Woman, 65 admits role in alleged £13m pension scam

AROCHDALE woman has appeared in court over an alleged £ 13.7m pension fraud.

Susan Dalton, 65, is one of three people who are charged with fraud by abuse of position.

The Pensions Regulator ( TPR), which is bringing the prosecution, alleges that 245 people were persuaded to transfer savings totalling £ 13.7 million into 11 pension schemes controlled by Dalton, Alan Barratt, 61, and Julian Hanson, 56, between 2012 and 2014.

Dalton, from Rochdale, appeared by videolink at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday to indicate a guilty plea to a charge of fraud by abuse of position.

The charge states she ‘dishonestly abused’ her position, ‘ intending thereby to cause loss to Abbey Mage Pension

Scheme and others or to expose that person to a risk of loss’.

Barratt, who is of Althorne, Essex, also appeared in the dock on Tuesday after he was extradited from Spain last month.

He indicated a not guilty plea to a charge of fraud by abuse of position between November 20, 2012 and December 15, 2014, alleging he ‘dishonestly abused’ his position as a trustee.

Hanson, of Batley, West Yorkshire, who also appeared by video- link, gave no indication of his plea to a charge of fraud by abuse of position between July 15, 2014 and December 15, 2014.

He is alleged to have ‘dishonestly abused’ his position as a director intending to make a financial gain for himself or expose another to a risk of loss.

All three of the defendants were granted conditional bail by District Judge Nicholas Rimmer, who said that they will next appear at Southwark Crown Court on May 11.