Northamptonshire: Council to pay former publican substantial damages

North Northamptonshire Council has agreed to pay substantial damages to former publican Dr Geoffrey Monks

A council has agreed to pay substantial damages to a former publican wrongly prosecuted on food safety charges.

Geoffrey Monks lost the Snooty Fox in Lowick, and was later jailed next to Soham murderer Ian Huntley, following the prosecution in 1999.

His lawyers said the decision provided "full vindication" for Dr Monks.

Leader of North Northamptonshire Council, Jason Smithers, said the prosecution "should never have occurred".

The settlement concludes a High Court action brought by Dr Monks in 2019 in which he alleged East Northamptonshire Council pursued a vendetta against him through the courts, amounting to abuse of process.

East Northamptonshire Council wrongly prosecuted Dr Monks in relation to The Snooty Fox, pictured in 1998, more than 20 years ago

The last time a claimant successfully recovered damages for "abuse of process" was 1861.

The East Northamptonshire authority was superseded by North Northamptonshire Council last year, meaning that authority became liable for any damages.

Dr Monks, 67, was prosecuted in 1999 over alleged food safety offences at the Snooty Fox and another of his pubs, the Samuel Pepys at Slipton.

He was convicted in relation to the Snooty Fox in 2000 despite what his lawyers called "the presentation of thin and contradictory evidence against him".

Unable to pay a fine of £13,500 and costs of £8,300, Dr Monks was sent to a category A prison in 2003.

Dr Geoffrey Monks, pictured the day before he bought the Snooty Fox in 1997, lost three pubs, his home, was imprisoned and suffered a heart attack following the prosecution

He was placed in an adjacent cell to the Soham murderer Ian Huntley, who was awaiting trial at the time.

In the same year, he was also convicted in relation to the Samuel Pepys, although this was later overturned on appeal.

The original Snooty Fox conviction was overturned in 2015 following a referral from the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

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The prosecutions meant Dr Monks had to sell three pubs he owned - and lost his home.

He suffered a heart attack while in prison and has experienced serious health issues ever since.

Geraint Thomas, partner and head of the disputes team at Laytons ETL Global, which advised Dr Monks on his High Court action, said the settlement "provides full vindication for our client more than 20 years after East Northamptonshire Council began its abusive campaign against him.

"The impact on his health, finances and wellbeing has been nothing short of devastating, but I hope that today's settlement will enable him at least to begin to rebuild his life."

Dr Monks' conviction with regard to The Snooty Fox, pictured in 1998, was not overturned until 2015

Mr Smithers said East Northamptonshire Council's decision to prosecute Dr Monks in relation to the Snooty Fox "was an abuse of process and should never have occurred".

"It is accepted East Northamptonshire Council's actions caused serious personal injury, loss, and damage to him over a period of more than 20 years, and I sincerely apologise for those actions," he added.

A Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman said: "An investigation to ascertain whether any criminal offences have been committed in connection to this case is ongoing."