A man who stabbed his partner 17 times had his minimum term increased today after it was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, for being too low.

Paul Beddoes, 45, murdered his partner, 46 year old Lynn McNally, at their home in Shropshire, stabbing her repeatedly with at least 2 knives. At the time, Beddoes was under the influence of Class A drugs. Beddoes admitted stabbing McNally to his neighbours the following morning.

Beddoes was sentenced at Stafford Crown Court in August, where he was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 11 years 243 days imprisonment, minus the time already spent on remand. Today, after the Solicitor General’s referral, the Court of Appeal increased his minimum term to 15 years, minus the time already spent on remand.

Commenting on the sentence increase, the Solicitor General said:

“This was a brutal and frenzied attack which resulted in the death of Beddoes’ partner. The offender is a danger to women, and I am pleased the Court has seen fit to increase the prison term.”

New figures show that around 54,000 households are no longer subject to the benefit cap, indicating that welfare reforms are working and more people are entering employment or have taken on more hours.

70% (140,000) of households on Housing Benefit were no longer capped in August 2018. This is an increase of 8,300 on the previous quarter (May 2018).

The benefit cap incentivises work, including part-time work, as claimants become exempt from the cap once they are in a job and are earning over a certain amount.

These figures come a day after Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures confirmed the number of children living in long-term workless households is down 580,000 since 2010, falling to its lowest level in more than a decade.

Work remains the best route out of poverty, with around 75% of children in poverty leaving poverty altogether when their parents move into full employment. Children living with a working adult do better in school, have better educational attainment and are more likely to be in work as adults.

Since the introduction of the benefit cap in April 2013, 205,000 households have had their benefits capped. Around 147,000 of these are no longer capped, and 54,000 households became exempt from the cap due to work.

The statistics also include the number of households on Universal Credit that have previously been subject to the cap, with 1,800 of these previously capped claimants exempt from the cap due to work.

The government has recently announced that it is spending an additional £1.7 billion a year on Universal Credit, increasing by £1,000 each the amount that 2.4 million households can earn each year before their Universal Credit begins to be withdrawn.

Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey, said:

Our welfare reforms are supporting more and more people into work – in fact since 2010 we have seen an average of 1,000 more people moving into employment each and every day.

Under the old system, over 1 million people spent most of a decade trapped on benefits. In stark comparison we now have seen record levels of employment.

And the benefit cap ensures we have a fairer system – fair for the taxpayer and fair for claimants – as well as a system that incentivises work. So it’s not surprising that we now have the lowest unemployment figures since 1975.

And with the latest budget announcements for Universal Credit, we will help even more families as we increase the amount people can earn by £1,000 before their benefit payment begins to be reduced – making sure it pays to work and it’s a smooth transition into work.

More about these statistics

Under the benefit cap, anyone eligible who moves into work and then earns enough for Working Tax Credit (or the equivalent under Universal Credit) becomes exempt.

The estimate of the number of children in households that were capped but went into work is for households that had their Housing Benefit capped only. It is calculated by multiplying the number of children in these households by the number of households, which is available on Stat-Xplore. Households with more than 5 children are grouped together, so for this calculation we have assumed that there are 6 children in these households.

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The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has contributed to a new UK government-funded study on navigational requirements for autonomous maritime vessels.

The UKHO worked together with partner organisations L3 ASV and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to identify the future data requirements for autonomous shipping, and explore how navigational and wider geospatial data can be used to enable the safe navigation of smart and unmanned autonomous vessels.

The study, funded by the Department for Transport’s Transport Technology Research Innovation Grant (T-TRIG), started by exploring the characteristics of current navigational data and charts in terms of what they comprise, their structure and how they are updated. It then examined how these data sets could be repurposed to develop a prototype ‘Smart Chart’ system, incorporating data such as radio signals, regulations, tides and foundation navigational data, that can be interpreted by a computer without the use of an onboard crew.

Mark Casey, Head of Research, Innovation and Integration at the UKHO, commented: “A wealth of marine geospatial data, from bathymetry depicting the seafloor to the speed and direction of the tides, supports navigation across our oceans. For over 200 years, the UKHO has sourced, processed and supplied this information to shipping and defence to help keep mariners safe at sea. We have developed our expertise in sourcing and processing this location-based information to help others better understand the marine environment.”

“With our expertise and knowledge of data required for safe navigation, we are well placed to help our partners identify the data requirements and standards needed to support the use of autonomous vessels of the future.”

Commenting on the study, Nusrat Ghani, UK Shipping Minister, said: “As we move through the 21st century, technology will continue to transform the UK’s world-leading maritime sector. Innovations such as Smart Charts pave the way for automation and Smart Shipping, and we are keen to support British companies making the most of new technologies, giving our vibrant sector a competitive edge. Technology and innovation are a key part of our Maritime 2050 initiative, which will set a vision for the growth and success of our maritime sector over the next 30 years.”

Tim Wilkes, Product Manager, MCA, added: “Understanding the data requirements of autonomous vessels is going to be hugely important for the MCA if we are to continue to ensure the safety of navigation in UK waters to save lives and combat pollution.”

Dan Hook, Senior Director of Business Development, L3 ASV, commented: “Current navigational data and charts have been developed over centuries to be read and interpreted by humans.

“Today, and over the coming decade, more and more marine vessels will be operating unmanned, and the charts will be read by computers.”

The UKHO believes findings from the study will help to support the development of navigational requirements for autonomous vessels and will look to use its expertise in marine geospatial data to help further develop this area of shipping.

Asset Recovery Associates Limited (ARA) was incorporated as a private company in July 2011. The linked company, Asset Recovery Resources (ARR) Limited was incorporated as a private company in December 2012. Both had the same registered office address in Warrington.

The companies held themselves out as being able to recover funds lost by victims of failed alternative investment schemes.

However, an investigation by the Insolvency Service, launched following complaints, found ARR’s claims to be false. The reality was that there was little or no prospect of funds being recovered.

The court heard that ARR’s staff cold-called victims offering to recover their money in return for the payment of an advance fee.

Victims described the sales staff employed by the company as ‘aggressive and persistent’ and claiming, entirely falsely, they had been appointed by the Insolvency Service.

The court heard that neither company cooperated with the investigation. Mr Alexander Goodrich, the director of both companies, stated that ARR was a dormant company that had been hijacked by fraudsters and that he had no knowledge of the cold-calling activity.

Mr Goodrich admitted that ARA had been involved in recovering monies lost by individuals in investment scams but told the court that he took the fees out of monies recovered and did not charge clients up front. He failed to produce the company’s accounting records to the investigators, claiming he no longer had access to them.

The lack of records has meant it has not been possible to find out how the companies got hold of investors’ details.

Commenting, David Hill , a chief investigator with the Insolvency Service, said:

ARR employed aggressive sales tactics to prey on people who had already lost money, seemingly with the aim of scamming them.

Members of the public, who have lost money in any kind of investment, should be wary of anyone calling them out-of-the-blue, claiming to be able to recoup their investment losses.

The Insolvency Service will investigate and shut down the activities of such companies.

On 22 October 2018, the court found that it was in the public interest that both companies be wound up.

Notes to editors

Asset Recovery Associates Limited was incorporated as a private company on 4 July 2011. The current registered office is located at 264 Old Liverpool Road, Warrington, WA5 1DZ.

The current recorded director of the company is Mr Alexander Goodrich.

Asset Recovery Resources Limited was incorporated as a private company on 27 December 2012. The current registered office is located at 264 Old Liverpool Road, Warrington, WA5 1DZ.

The current recorded director of the company is Mr Alexander Goodrich.

The petitions were presented under s124A of the Insolvency Act 1986 on 20 June 2018. By virtue of the winding up orders made on 22 October 2018 the Official Receiver is liquidator of the companies.

Company Investigations, part of the Insolvency Service, uses powers under the Companies Act 1985 to conduct confidential fact-finding investigations into the activities of live limited companies in the UK on behalf of the Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Further information about live company investigations is available here.

The Insolvency Service administers the insolvency regime, investigating all compulsory liquidations and individual insolvencies (bankruptcies) through the Official Receiver to establish why they became insolvent. It may also use powers under the Companies Act 1985 to conduct confidential fact-finding investigations into the activities of live limited companies in the UK. In addition, the agency deals with disqualification of directors in corporate failures, assesses and pays statutory entitlement to redundancy payments when an employer cannot or will not pay employees, provides banking and investment services for bankruptcy and liquidation estate funds and advises ministers and other government departments on insolvency law and practice.

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available.

All public enquiries concerning the affairs of the company should be made to: The Official Receiver, Public Interest Unit, 4 Abbey Orchard Street, London, SW1P 2HT. Telephone: 0207 637 1110 Email: piu.or@insolvency.gsi.gov.uk.

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BVM, a Manchester-based company and its sister companies, all sold customers services to improve their online business profiles, all, to little or no commercial benefit.

All four companies have been wound up following investigations by the Insolvency Service.

In the case of BVM, the alleged customer offer was to manage company business profiles on ‘Google Places’ for business.

The first of the four companies operating the model to be wound-up (in April 2015), was On Line Platform Management Consultants Ltd, following that the second was Movette Ltd in July 2017 before the third TBL (UK) Ltd, in August 2018.

BVM continued the same or a very similar business to that previously carried on by Movette Ltd (Movette) (which was wound up on 28 July 2017 on the grounds that it operated against the public interest).

The Insolvency Service investigated the company’s affairs following complaints from customers. But the investigation was severely limited due to a lack of co-operation from those in control of BVM who failed to produce business documents.

The investigation established, and in winding up the company the Court accepted, that BVM had continued the objectionable business model previously carried on by Movette, by continuing to target the former customers of Movette.

Similarly, customers received little or no commercial benefit from the Google Places management service they purchased from BVM on an annual basis.

Furthermore, the court heard that BVM employed inappropriate and objectionable methods of debt collection and that the company had been abandoned by those controlling its day to day operations.

On 2 October 2018, the High Court sitting in Manchester heard the petition presented on behalf of the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy.

In the absence of evidence submitted by the company, who failed to attend the hearing, Deputy District Judge Heseltine wound-up the company, in the public interest.

Commenting, David Hope, Chief Investigator with the Insolvency Service, said:

Beyond Vision Media Ltd continued an objectionable business model that used inappropriate methods of trading designed to extract money from businesses under false pretences.

The Insolvency Service will take action to shut down such rogue businesses. Additionally, the business community should take steps to verify the credentials of any third party that contacts them claiming to be continuing the services previously provided by Movette Ltd and/or Beyond Vision Media Ltd.

Notes to editors

Beyond Vision Media Ltd – company registration number 8586915 – was incorporated on 27 June 2013. The company’s registered office is at Unit 77 Cariocca Business Park, 2 Sawley Road, Manchester, M40 8BB.

The petition to wind-up Beyond Vision Media Ltd was presented under s124A of the Insolvency Act 1986 on 3 August 2018. The company was wound up on 2 October 2018 and the Official Receiver, Public Interest Unit (North) has been appointed as liquidator.

On Line Platform Management Consultants Ltd was incorporated on 25 January 2012. Its registered office was at Suite 125, 23 New Mount Street, Manchester M4 4DE.

The petition to wind up Online Platform Management Consultants Ltd was presented under s124A of the Insolvency Act 1986 on 03 February 2015. The Official Receiver was appointed as provisional liquidator on 10 February 2015. The company was wound up on 13 April 2015 and the Official Receiver was appointed as liquidator. The director of Online Platform Management Consultants Ltd, Roy Junior De-Vent, was subsequently disqualified from acting as a director for a period of 11 years.

Movette Ltd – company registration number 08705982 – was incorporated on 25 September 2013. The company’s registered office is at 86 Stonemere Drive, Radcliffe, Manchester M26 1QX and it traded from 23 New Mount Street, Manchester M4 4DE.

The petition to wind-up Movette Ltd was presented under s124A of the Insolvency Act 1986 on 12 May 2017. The Official Receiver was appointed provisional liquidator of the company on 18 May 2017. The company was wound up on 28 July 2017 and the Official Receiver has been appointed as liquidator.

TBL (UK) Ltd (Company number 10084021), was wound up on 20 August 2018.

Company Investigations, part of the Insolvency Service, uses powers under the Companies Act 1985 to conduct confidential fact-finding investigations into the activities of live limited companies in the UK on behalf of the Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Further information about live company investigations is available here. The Insolvency Service, an executive agency sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), administers the insolvency regime, and aims to deliver and promote a range of investigation and enforcement activities both civil and criminal in nature, to support fair and open markets. We do this by effectively enforcing the statutory company and insolvency regimes, maintaining public confidence in those regimes and reducing the harm caused to victims of fraudulent activity and to the business community, including dealing with the disqualification of directors in corporate failures.

BEIS’ mission is to build a dynamic and competitive UK economy that works for all, in particular by creating the conditions for business success and promoting an open global economy. The Criminal Investigations and Prosecutions team contributes to this aim by taking action to deter fraud and to regulate the market. They investigate and prosecute a range of offences, primarily relating to personal or company insolvencies.

The agency also authorises and regulates the insolvency profession, assesses and pays statutory entitlement to redundancy payments when an employer cannot or will not pay employees, provides banking and investment services for bankruptcy and liquidation estate funds and advises ministers and other government departments on insolvency law and practice.

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available.

By virtue of the appointment of the Official Receiver all public enquiries concerning the affairs of the company should be made to: The Official Receiver, Public Interest Unit, 2nd Floor, 3 Piccadilly Place, London Road, Manchester, M1 3BN. Tel: 0161 234 8531 Email: piu.north@insolvency.gsi.gov.uk.

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