Woman in court accused of buying property with criminal money

Saturday 05 May 2018

A 49-year-old woman has appeared in the Royal Court accused of using criminal money to buy property in Jersey and Wales, lying to the Taxes Office and having thousands of pounds of criminal cash discovered at her home.

Joanne Marie Jones, from Wales, appeared at the Royal Court on Friday 4 May for allegedly committing 10 offences between 2012 and 2017.

Crown Advocate Richard Pedley accused Ms Jones of possessing £81,050 of criminal cash, which he told the court was discovered in the loft of her home in St. Brelade on 7 September 2017, as well as £3,000 from a hood of a coat. 

Defending, Advocate James Bell put forward guilty pleas to the two counts, but on the basis that the first charge was amended to say a value of £59,050. 

Advocate Bell also put forward a guilty plea to Ms Jones using criminal money to buy a property in St. Brelade on 25 April 2014, but again on the understanding the value being dropped from £240,278 to £105,000. 

Ms Jones denied transferring criminal money to a Halifax bank account, using £65,742 of criminal money to purchase a property in Wales and buy six bonds with £299,994 between 2013 and 2016. 

The 49-year old has admitted six counts of fraudulently omitting income received on her income tax forms between 2012 and 2017 - the amounts for which need to be agreed, Advocate Bell stated. 

Presiding, Deputy Bailiff Tim Le Cocq, who was sitting with Jurats Dulake and Nicolle, remanded Ms Jones in custody and ordered her to reappear before the Royal Court on 30 May 2018 for a directions hearing. 

A two-week trial has been set for 15 October 2018.