'Narcissistic' judge Keith Shaw admits planning fraud

Keith Shaw is a solicitor and deputy district judge in North Yorkshire

A "narcissistic" judge has admitted serious fraud having fabricating letters to support his own planning applications.

Keith Shaw, 37, of Sherburn-in-Elmet near Leeds, was convicted of several counts of fraud between 2012 and 2015.

Shaw, a qualified solicitor and deputy district judge, pleaded guilty before Westminster Magistrates on Monday and was given a 20-week suspended sentence.

Police said he used his knowledge of the legal system for personal gain.

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Shaw was first investigated by North Yorkshire Police after Scarborough Borough Council reported him in 2015.

He had tried to influence council planners by submitting several fictitious letters in support of his own applications for land around Whitby in North Yorkshire, using names and addresses without people's permission.

Police said the content of the correspondence was also entirely fictitious.

He was also found to have claimed a £2,700 refund for surveyor's fees for land in Sleights, claiming falsely that he was charged for a survey which did not go ahead.

Det Insp Jon Hodgeon, fraud detective at North Yorkshire Police, said: "Keith Shaw is a highly qualified judge who used his enhanced knowledge of the legal system to commit crime and deceive a number of public sector organisations.

"He is a narcissistic individual who thought he could use his position to defraud others for personal gain."

Shaw was sentenced to 20 weeks imprisonment, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay £2,747 compensation plus £7,285 costs.

He was also ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work.