Feared Carlisle loan shark used his brother to hide fortune

By Staff Reporter

Last updated 14:13, Thursday, 09 October 2008

A notorious and feared Carlisle loan shark used his younger brother to hide part of his £1million criminal fortune from the authorities, the city’s crown court heard.

Wilson O’Neil

Wilson O’Neil, 55, is serving a five-year jail term after being convicted of unlicensed money lending, benefits fraud and money laundering.

His brother Gary Charles O’Neil, 53, was in the dock this week to face his own money laundering charges.

Prosecuting counsel Dennis Watson told the court that in August 2005 Wilson O’Neil realised the authorities had found out about the fortune he had stashed away in his own name, and under the names of his partner and daughter.

So he arranged to transfer £186,000 of his investments to his brother Gary to try to avoid their detection.

Gary O’Neil was used by his brother, who perhaps felt under some obligation to assist him, Mr Watson said.

Gary O’Neil, of Haigh Gardens, Rothwell, Lincolnshire, pleaded guilty to two charges of money laundering.

He was given a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and put under probation supervision for a year. He was also ordered to pay £2,656 court costs.

The court heard that Wilson O’Neil had already been made to repay £892,000 of “all of his assets” as repayment towards the £1 million he had made from his crimes.

The £186,000 held by his brother was included in this amount, so Gary O’Neil was ordered only to pay a nominal £1 under the Proceeds of Crime Act when he appeared at Carlisle Crown Court.

The scale of Wilson O’Neil’s loan sharking operation became clear when he appeared in court last year. The court heard how he had traded on his reputation for violence, which included a love of competitive bare-knuckle fighting.

Detectives who raided properties linked to Wilson O’Neil and his family found his assets included expensive Royal Crown Derby crockery worth more than £15,000, and jewellery worth £11,350. Despite his wealth, he continued to claim benefits illegally, claiming almost £51,000 from the state in Income Support, housing benefit and disability benefit over a four-year period.

Detectives also uncovered around £90,000 in cash hidden in various properties linked to him. His defence barrister told the court the stress of the case had led to him taking an overdose and that his real punishment would be the loss of assets.