Jailed fraudster who conned Ascot family out of £171k life savings gets crime order

A jailed fraudster who used the life savings of an Ascot family to fuel a gambling habit and luxury lifestyle has been given a crime order restriction.

Darren John Crane, 56, was handed a Serious Crime Prevention Order (SCPO), designed to disrupt any future criminal activity he might plot, at Reading Crown Court on September 26.

The convicted conman, who also goes by the name of Darren Palmer, is serving a four-year jail sentence and will need to abide by the restrictions of the SCPO for five years after his release.

Detective Constable Kara Reed said the SCPO had been imposed to restrict ‘Crane’s ability to plan, fund or engage in further criminal activity’.

DC Reed added: “We encourage members of the public to report any suspected breaches of Darren Crane’s SCPO to police.

“Public vigilance is essential in playing a key role in helping authorities to monitor compliance.

“Their input can provide vital intelligence that supports police investigations and helps disrupt serious and organised crime."

Crane persuaded a single mother of two children and her family to invest £171,000 – their life savings – in his fake company between June and December 2021.

He posed as an ‘experienced trader’ in gold and other precious metals – ‘guaranteeing them large returns’, police said.

But Crane had lied to them. The criminal instead used their money, which included large loans taken out by the mother, to spend on a lavish lifestyle, gambling and speculative trading.

He also racked up debts with credit lenders without informing them he was bankrupt – another criminal offence.

Police launched an investigation into Crane in 2023, and he was charged a year later.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud by false representation and engaging in trade while bankrupt contrary to the Insolvency Act 1986, at Reading Crown Court on February 6 2025.

Crane, of Gull Road, Guyhirn in Cambridgeshire, was jailed for four years at four months at a sentencing on the same day.

His newly issued SCPO will mean Crane faces up to five years in prison and an unlimited fine if its conditions are breached. The conditions include:

- Crane is prohibited from using any aliases and must use only their legal name

- Restrictions on the types of bank accounts Crane can open.

- Crane must tell the police of any bank accounts he has.

DC Reed, of Thames Valley Police’s Economic Crime Unit, said: “The measures are intended to limit Crane’s ability to plan, fund or engage in further criminal activity.

“SCPOs are a vital tool used by law enforcement and the courts to manage the risk posed by serious and organised criminals, even after their release.

“They can include a wide range of restrictions, such as limits on communication devices, business dealings, travel, and associations with known criminal contacts.”

Breaches of an SCPO can be reported via the Thames Valley Police website, calling 101, or through the charity Crimestoppers.