Preacher loses appeal over Covid fraud conviction

Bishop Climate Wiseman was given a suspended prison sentence in February

A preacher found guilty of fraud for selling a fake cure for Covid-19 has lost a Court of Appeal challenge against his conviction.

Bishop Climate Wiseman told his followers they could "end up dropping dead" during the pandemic and told them to buy his £91 "plague protection oil".

In February, Wiseman was sentenced to one year in jail, suspended for two years, and ordered to carry out 130 hours of unpaid community work.

He was told to pay £60,000 in costs.

Wiseman, who is head of the Kingdom Church in Camberwell, south London, took his case to the Court of Appeal earlier this month.

In a written ruling on Wednesday, the court said it was "not persuaded that the conviction was unsafe".

It also upheld the costs ruling against him, concluding: "It is not arguable that there was any procedural unfairness or that the costs order was manifestly excessive."

• 'How I exposed a preacher's Covid kit fraud'

Wiseman told his trial he had been inspired by a visitation from God, who told him he was a prophet who could cure coronavirus.

He sold a mixture consisting of hyssop, cedarwood and olive oil under names including "divine cleansing oil".

BBC London investigated Wiseman and was offered one of the kits for £91

In 2016, Wiseman and the church were investigated by trading standards in relation to the sale of oils said to cure cancer but this did not lead to a prosecution.

This information was given to jurors at his trial, and his lawyers argued it was "highly prejudicial material" that could have influenced the verdict.

However, prosecutors argued that "no real prejudice was caused" and the jury was "sufficiently well-directed".

Southwark Trading Standards was alerted to Wiseman's Covid scam on 24 March 2020 - the day after the country entered a nationwide lockdown.

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