Crooked 'lord' with Shropshire heritage jailed for fraud

A CROOKED entrepreneur claiming Shropshire heritage, whose lavish home was used in Oscar-winning film The King's Speech, has been jailed for a multi million-pound fraud.

Self-styled 'Lord' Edward Davenport, aged 45, became friends with stars such as Mick Jagger and Simon Cowell as his wealth from an"advanced fee fraud" scheme grew.

Scores of businesses were ripped off by the conman, who was behind bars this afternoon.

Davenport – who owns Sierra Leone's former High Commission in west London – set up Gresham Ltd in 2005 and pretended it was a respectable business with 50 years' experience of sourcing huge commercial loans.

He courted celebrities including Prince Albert of Monaco, Victoria Beckham, Jeremy Irons and Hugh Grant and rap star 50 Cent.

And his official biography describes him as "tall, slim and Draculine with a constant tan and a penchant for sharp suits and Rolex watches". It adds that he owns Ferrari, Rolls Royce and Lamborghini cars.

He claims to be able to trace his family tree to Worfield, near Bridgnorth, as far back as the 1600s.

He published details on his website, claiming various generations lived and died in the county.

His London home was used for many scenes in The Kings Speech where Colin Firth's character received treatment for his stammer.

Simon Mayo, QC for the prosecution, told Southwark Crown Court that to outward appearances Gresham Ltd appeared to be "long-established, wealthy and prestigious".

He said: "In truth it was a company which had only been set up by Edward Davenport in late 2005. It was essentially worthless. Its only business was fraud."

Davenport, of Portland Place, London, was jailed last month for seven years and eight months along with accomplice Peter Riley, 64, from Essex. They were convicted of a single count of conspiracy to defraud following a three-month trial along with Borge Andersen, 66, of South Kensington.

Andersen was jailed for 39 months at the same court. Their convictions can be reported today after a judge lifted an order.

He was arrested in 2009 after police found evidence that Gresham had promised to fund loans worth £500m.

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