Man jailed over £500K frozen chicken fraud

Former cold storage company boss Liam Dooney, 53, from Wigan, was sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment on 27 January after having previously pled guilty in Bolton Crown Court to handling stolen goods.

He had been involved in a scheme where fraudsters set up cloned versions of legitimate food retailers – including McDonalds – in order to secure hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of poultry from wholesalers in the UK and overseas.

Zoe Betts, a food safety law expert at Pinsent Masons, said the sentence showed the severity of the risk the case showed not just to public health, but also to consumer trust.

“This is another hefty sentence for food crime offences,” she said.

“It demonstrates the regulator’s ongoing commitment to ensuring consumers can trust the food they eat and will not hesitate to use their enforcement powers where there is misconduct.

“The sentence reflects the serious nature of the offences and demonstrates that the FSA will not shy away from pursuing egregious disregard for the law, whatever the complexity of the circumstances.”

The Food Standards Agency’s National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) launched an investigation after being alerted to the operation, which ultimately saw 16.8 metric tonnes of stolen poultry recovered. The recovered poultry was later downgraded to pet food, due to a loss in traceability.

The NFCU was established in 2015 after a review into the 2013 horse meat scandal, and last year was granted new powers to apply for and execute search warrants to help protect businesses and consumers from food fraud.

A multi-agency operation saw the NFCU partner with Greater Manchester Police, Wigan Council, and the Crown Prosecution Service to pursue the case.

“We are pleased with this custodial sentence as it shows there is no place in the food industry for any form of criminal activity,” said Andrew Quinn, head of the NFCU. 

“We work with partners, supporting industry to meet their responsibilities and minimise the risk of any food theft resulting in food fraud.

“Food businesses should be vigilant to the risk of food fraud and safeguard against this, and be alert to the potential of being offered stolen goods.  Food businesses can help ensure they don’t become victims of theft by doing their due diligence with suppliers and customers.”

Dooney will be required to serve at least half his sentence in custody. He was also disqualified as a director for seven years, with a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing set for April 20.