Grandma lost her business and savings after being wrongly accused of fraud as CPS admits she felt ‘let down’

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A woman endured almost a decade of hell in which she lost her business, her life savings and considered taking her own life, after being wrongly accused of fraud.

Krista Brown was horrified when she was suddenly arrested in January 2017 by HMRC officers while her teenage son watched in the hallway.

The 52-year-old grandmother spent seven years with the allegations against her, and her trial was delayed several times until the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the case in October 2023 and prosecutors offered “no evidence.”

Eight years later, the CPS apologized “unreservedly” in a three-page letter, admitting that she had been “clearly disappointed” and that the decision to charge her did not meet the required standards.

talking to the independentMrs Brown said: “I got the result I wanted but I am heartbroken because it is proven that I went through all that for eight years for nothing. It’s a hard pill to swallow.

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“There really are people who get caught up in the justice system and are innocent. I have spent £27,000 on legal fees, my life savings are completely gone and I am now in debt; The impact is very real.”

After years of working in security and events, the east London grandmother had set up her own business in 2008 with just £1,000 in the front room of her Hackney home. Over the years recruitment firm Persona had become a £2m business with 400 employees and had provided employment to 3,000 young offenders.

It was in 2014 that an accountant was dismissed for financial reasons and an agreement was reached with HM Revenue & Customs to repay unpaid taxes in instalments.

“We paid off all the debts, I was without salary for months and we never missed a payment or were late in making a payment,” he said.

Despite this, she was detained “unexpectedly” in 2017 and interrogated at a police station for hours after being accused of fraud through false statements, money laundering and fraud against public treasuries.

Upon being released on unconditional bail and surrendering her passport, she went months without “communication” from HMRC, despite repeatedly emailing for updates.

In February 2020, she was finally charged with three charges, which she denied, and began the process of navigating the court system, at times without legal representation and dealing with constant delays in her case.

“Getting psyched to go through all that to keep getting canceled and getting hit constantly, I don’t know how anyone’s mental health is supposed to get through that,” he said.

As a result, he created a social media account under the pseudonym The Secret Defendant on X, in which he wrote about his experience dealing with the criminal justice system and asked for advice.

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“In my worst moments I was suicidal,” he says, becoming emotional. “I am a person with true joy for life, I am positive, I am pleasant. I’m not someone who hates life. “I just didn’t want to hear another word, I just wanted it to be over.”

His trial was postponed twice, which only increased his anguish, and the Prosecutor’s Office admitted that his “actions contributed to this delay.”

He was also offered multiple plea deals if he admitted his guilt, despite adamantly insisting he was innocent throughout the court process. In its apology letter, the CPS acknowledged that this should not have happened and that the handling of the disclosure of evidence in his case fell short of obligations under the relevant legislation.

After preparing for a third trial date at Snaresbrook Crown Court in October 2023, he was informed that prosecutors had abandoned the case having decided the legal case was no longer met.

It took him six months and three complaints to receive his certificate of acquittal and, thanks to the support of his solicitor and friends, he met Ms Hillier, Labor MP for Hackney South and Shoreditch, who agreed to raise his complaint to the CPS.

In the three-page letter sent to her address, the prosecutor said: “Overall, the CPS recognizes that the handling of this case and associated decisions, including charging, disclosure and ongoing review, did not meet established standards. in the Code and that the case should have been stopped much earlier. “We fully accept that the CPS has let you down and we again apologize.”

Describing the response as an “exceptional decision”, the CPS said they have taken steps to address concerns raised and take “responsibility”, and that this has led to the implementation of refresher courses.

A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service said the independent: “We apologize unreservedly to Ms. Brown for the distress caused by the handling of her case.

“We recognize that the handling of this case and associated decisions did not meet our standards and the case should have been stopped much sooner.

“That is why we have already taken steps to address the concerns raised by identifying lessons learned and implementing changes to the supervision and scrutiny of our case strategies.”

An HMRC spokesperson said: “We take all reports of suspected tax evasion very seriously and review and investigate them thoroughly, but the Crown Prosecution Services (CPS) decides which cases should be prosecuted.”

Mrs Brown, who now works for the NHS and has successfully opened a food bank for struggling families, is looking forward to meeting Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood.

“As much as I have processed and am recovering, this has changed me for life,” he said. “You can’t even begin to understand the mental impact this has had on me. “I’m a hard-working mother from the East End, to lose everything and get benefits, that was a lot for me.”

He added: “For them to admit that it was wrong and admit it in black and white, is an overwhelming feeling for me. “While I obtained my certificate of acquittal earlier this year, this letter has finally vindicated me.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “The new Government inherited a record and growing backlog at the Crown Court, delaying and denying justice to too many victims.

“While we are bound by our financial inheritance, we are committed to reducing the backlog at the Crown Court. As a first step, we have increased the number of days the court can hear cases to 106,500 and expanded magistrates’ courts’ sentencing powers from six to 12 months, freeing up 2,000 days for courts to deal with cases. more serious. “The Government is exploring new options to deliver justice more quickly in our courts.”

If you are experiencing feelings of distress or are having difficulty coping, you can speak to the Samaritans, confidentially, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email [email protected] or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you live in the US and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, please call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline online chat.

This is a free and confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.