Derby fraudster who sold fake war medals to pay more than £50,000 back

Henry Lyttel, who 'exploited the gallantry' of decorated soldiers, will pay £10,000 of it to the Royal British Legion

A fraudster who “exploited the gallantry” of decorated soldiers by selling thousands of pounds of forged medals from his Derby home has been ordered to pay back just over £50,000.

A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing at Derby Crown Court heard how Henry Lyttel made almost £100,000 from his “sophisticated” operation, which produced medals he then engraved to look like they had been handed to genuine servicemen as long ago as the First World War.

The now 33-year-old, of Mackworth, passed the fake awards off as real to collectors across the globe from his cottage industry, called Croft Militaria Ltd and he also produced £10,000 of poppy emblem pin badges, which are trade-marked to the Royal British Legion, without their knowledge.

But this week’s hearing was told how he has £50,448.51 to his name which he was ordered to pay back from his ill-gotten gains. However, his barrister, Callum Church, told the hearing that his client “has made an undertaking” to pay the RBL the £10,000 from that sum.

Judge Jonathan Bennett told him: “The benefit figure was £97,980.93 and the available amount is £50,448.51. You have three months to pay back and in default of paying that back there will be 12 months in prison.”

He asked Mr Church: “Where has the money come from?” The barrister replied: “It is money in the defendant’s possession already.”

The Proceeds of Crime Act (or POCA) allows the police to apply for cash to be seized from criminals who have made their money from ill-gotten gains. It is typically used after drug dealers have been sentenced and can see criminals forced to sell properties, cars or jewellery that belong to them to pay the cash back.

The money that is seized is usually split 50-50 between the police and the Government and is often used to fund community projects. Importantly, if a convicted criminal comes into money later in life that he or she does not currently have, police can still apply to have that seized.

At the sentencing hearing at the same court back in 2020, Adam Pearson, prosecuting, said Lyttel set up Croft Militaria Ltd from his home in Ashbourne Road, Mackworth, in 2014. He said the defendant sold medals, bars and poppy emblem pin badges mainly on eBay and from its website.

In 2015, while under investigation for not paying VAT, he resigned as the sole director and his father was instead named as the only director. Mr Pearson said as a result of complaints from customers, Derbyshire County Council’s trading standards team carried out test purchases from Lyttel.

He said the two medals it received were genuine but the medal bar over the top of them was “a very poor copy”. Mr Pearson said: “There was a warrant issued and in an outhouse and an upstairs room was a sophisticated factory on a vast scale.

“All stages of the manufacture, production, finishing and, crucially, ageing of medals was there.” Mr Pearson said items seized included medals engraved with the specific name of servicemen and the dates they received them.

He said: “From the medal factory it was established the 58 military crosses were sold at a total price of £42,500, 11 Distinguished Flying Crosses for £22,000, six Air Force Crosses for £7,000.

“Also there were 291 Poppy Emblem pin badges worth £10,000. He was exploiting the good will of the customers and cynically exploiting the gallantry of men genuinely awarded these medals for their bravery.”

Lyttel pleaded guilty to fraudulent trading, selling unauthorised goods and possession for sale of goods bearing a trade mark, these being the poppy pin badges. Charges initially handed to his father Paul Lyttel were dropped when it became apparent his son was behind the fraud.

Handing Lyttel a two-year-jail term, suspended for 18 months, Judge Jonathan Bennett said: “What you did exploited the honour and gallantry of soldiers who saw various types of military action and you exploited people’s interest in such medals and awards to make some money.

“You exploited the Royal British Legion’s trademark. You were motivated by dishonesty, this was a sophisticated and professional operation.

“When officers went to your address they found, in an outhouse and an upstairs room, a sophisticated medal manufacturing factory.

“It was on a large scale and, tellingly, it involved the ageing of medals to look like they were genuinely awarded more than 100 years ago during the First World War. It was a serious undertaking and although I accept it was not entirely dishonest there was significant dishonesty.”