MacLean goes straight to jail

The trial of Arthur Curtis MacLean finally came to end on Friday (7 March) when the jury returned a guilty verdict and MacLean was sentenced to two-and-half years in prison.

He has also been banned from acting as a company director for eight years. The ban was extended by the trial judge, Judge Capstick, who said MacLean should not be allowed to act as ?a liquidator or administrator of any company, manager or receiver or in any way concerned in the promotion, forming or management of a company?.

MacLean had been standing trial for a computer fraud worth #1.5 million, and was accused of taking orders for PCs that he knew he could not supply (PC Dealer, 5 March).

TSB had taken steps itself to prevent MacLean and his wife bouncing cheques by closing one of their accounts.

When passing sentence on MacLean, Judge Capstick said: ?I am satisfied that you would say anything to suit your purpose in order to enable the company to continue trading and you did this dishonestly and fraudulently.?

MacLean denied that he had used any fraudulently obtained money to enhance his own standard of living.