Furniture trader's firm duped vulnerable customers

Peter Kitson was jailed for 15 months after he pleaded guilty to fraudulent trading

The "greedy and arrogant" boss of a mobility furniture firm which scammed vulnerable customers out of £65,000 has been jailed.

Exeter Crown Court heard staff at Peter Kitson's business, Mobility Furniture Company, used aggressive and pressurised sales techniques to carry out fraudulent deals on elderly people between 2015 and 2018 across Devon and Somerset.

The court was told Kitson was fully aware of the tactics being used, which included one person being called 88 times in 12 months and a sales representative not leaving a potential client's home until 23:00.

The 64-year-old, of Congresbury, Somerset, pleaded guilty to fraudulent trading and was sentenced to 15 months in prison.

'Greed and torture'

The court heard 15 sales staff at the company used high-pressure methods and bombarded customers with cold calls.

Clients were told they were buying custom-made beds and chairs, but the goods were not always bespoke.

Customers were then told they had no right to cancel and would forfeit a 50% deposit, which was hidden in the small print.

Some of the victims had since died and others said the firm, which had a £30m turnover, acted out of "greed and torture", the court heard.

Some victims, who had serious health concerns, said they thought they would be buying the "Rolls Royce" of mobility chairs, but many were left intimidated, angry and duped.

Kitson's lawyer said he had been "reckless and dishonest" and did not want to minimise his victims' distress, but accepted responsibility for the high-pressure selling.

The court heard Kitson was heavily in debt and had no available assets.

Judge Stephen Climie said Kitson's firm picked on the most helpless and vulnerable in society and the defendant admitted to a probation officer that at the time he was "arrogant and greedy".