- Repeat offender Leslie Crossland again breached the rules of his director disqualification by managing two companies when he was not allowed to do so
- He also committed a bankruptcy offence in 2020 during the course of interviews with Insolvency Service officials
- Crossland was assisted in breaking his director ban by his son, Richard Crossland, who was given a suspended sentence at the same hearing
A Yorkshire electrical engineer who continued to manage his businesses while he was disqualified as a company director has been jailed.
Leslie Crossland, of Netherfield Croft, Shafton, Barnsley, was sentenced to 16 months in prison when he appeared at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday 21 February.
The 75-year-old had previously admitted acting as a director of R&L Electrical Engineers Ltd (R&L) and R&L (BMS) Installations Ltd (BMS) when he was banned from doing so.
He also failed to inform Insolvency Service officials that he had withdrawn four of his pensions, disposing of £23,300 in assets in the months before he was declared bankrupt.
Crossland was already serving a 14-year director disqualification, which began in November 2008, at the time he was managing R&L and BMS. His 2008 disqualification was for failing to deliver accounting records to the liquidator and ignoring a previous 10-year director ban from September 2005.
He was also jailed in 2014 for breaching the 14-year disqualification.
Crossland was supported in breaching his most recent directorship ban by Richard Crossland, his son, who was also sentenced after failing to deliver records to the liquidator for R&L.
Richard Crossland, 45, and also of Netherfield Croft, Shafton, Barnsley, was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years, at the same hearing.
He was also ordered to complete 300 hours of unpaid work, five days of rehabilitation activity, and pay £2,000 in costs.
David Snasdell, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:
Leslie Crossland clearly breached the terms of his director disqualification, making all the executive decisions and using deceptive tactics such as impersonating those who were named as directors of his companies.
He is a repeat offender, with this not being the only time he has blatantly ignored director bans in the past.
Crossland was actively enabled to carry out these actions by his son, who allowed him to continue as a company director in all but name.
The public deserves to be protected from those who are unfit to direct or manage company affairs, putting them at risk of financial harm.
We will continue to work hard to ensure the UK remains a safe and fair place to do business.
R&L was established in September 2016, continuing the business of RL Installations run by Leslie and Richard Crossland but as a limited company, not sole tradership as had been the case before.
BMS was incorporated in November 2018 when it became clear that R&L would be entering administration.
Leslie Crossland was serving his 14-year director ban at the time both companies were trading.
Richard Crossland was appointed as director of R&L in January 2018 and BMS when it was set up in November 2018.
In interviews with the Insolvency Service, Richard Crossland admitted that his father made the executive decisions for both companies, not him.
Statements from employees and financial records uncovered by investigators supported the claims that Leslie Crossland was responsible for the management of both companies despite his disqualification.
R&L entered liquidation in May 2019. Richard Crossland failed to provide accounting records to the liquidator on request, committing an offence under the Companies Act in the process.
Liquidators were appointed for BMS in August 2022.
Leslie Crossland was declared bankrupt in January 2020. Both him and his son had outstanding debts to a fellow electrical company of more than £40,000.
Two months after his bankruptcy, Leslie Crossland failed to inform the Official Receiver that he had drawn down on four of his pensions just months before his bankruptcy, with money transferred to his own account and £9,000 paid to his wife to buy a car.
He signed documents stating he had not transferred, sold or given away any of his personal possessions or business assets in the previous five years.
Similarly, he also declared that he did not have any personal pension arrangements.
These inaccurate declarations, referred to in this case as failing to inform the Official Receiver of the disposal of property, were found to be offences under the Insolvency Act 1986.
Leslie and Richard Crossland were each disqualified as company directors again in 2020, this time for the maximum 15 years and 11 years respectively.
Ashley Crossland, the wife of Richard Crossland, was handed a two-year conditional discharge for also assisting Leslie Crossland in breaching his director ban. The 35-year-old, of Marsala Walk, Darfield, Barnsley, was the director of R&L between September 2016 and January 2018.
Further information
- Leslie Crossland is of Netherfield Croft, Shafton, Barnsley. His date of birth is 12 October 1949
- Sentenced for: Acting as a director or in the management of a company whilst disqualified contrary to section 13 of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986; and failing to disclose to the Official Receiver disposal of property contrary to section 353(1)(b) of the Insolvency Act 1986
- Richard Crossland is of Netherfield Croft, Shafton, Barnsley. His date of birth is 28 December 1979
- Sentenced for: Aiding and abetting Leslie Crossland to commit the offence of acting as a director or in the management of a company, whilst he was disqualified from doing so contrary to section 8 of the Accessories and Abettors Act 1861; and failing to keep adequate accounting records contrary to section 387 of the Companies Act 2006
- Ashley Crossland is of Marsala Walk, Darfield, Barnsley. Her date of birth is 6 May 1989
- Sentenced for: Aiding and abetting Leslie Crossland to commit the offence of acting as a director or in the management of a company, whilst he was disqualified from doing so contrary to section 8 of the Accessories and Abettors Act 1861
- R&L Electrical Engineers Ltd (company number 10363568)
- R&L (BMS) Installations Ltd (company number 11700997)
- Individuals subject to a disqualification order or undertaking are bound by a range of restrictions
- Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct.
