Police officer cleared in peregrine laundering case faces separate fraud charge

Thanks to the blog reader who alerted me to the following notice in Border Telegraph, dated 31 July 2024:

FRAUD CHARGE

A police officer will face trial at Jedburgh Sheriff Court accused of a fraud involving almost £10,000.

Forty-six year-old Suzanne Hall is charged with pretending she had just moved into her home at Lamberton Holdings in Berwickshire with her family in December 2020 after previously staying in a house in Chirnside.

But the charge alleges the Lamberton house had been her sole or main residence since August 2015 and she was due Scottish Borders Council £9,613 in back-dated council tax.

Hall pleaded not guilty to the charge and a trial date was fixed for November 19th 2024.

This looks to be the same WPC Suzanne Hall from Lamberton Holdings who was previously charged, along with her husband Timothy and son Lewis, with offences linked to the alleged laundering of wild peregrines that were later sold for profit to falconers in the Middle East. Her husband and son pleaded guilty but Suzanne Hall’s not guilty plea to five charges was accepted by the Crown in December 2023, although it was reported at the time that, “a fraud charge was deserted with the Crown reserving the right to re-raise the case at a future date” (see here).

Juvenile peregrines. Photo by Ruth Tingay

It’s not clear whether the latest fraud charge alleged against Suzanne Hall relates to the previously deserted charge or whether this is a different one.

NB: As this case is live, comments are turned off until proceedings have concluded.

Convicted peregrine launderer Lewis Hall, 23, is due to appear at Jedburgh Sheriff Court on 4th September 2024 in relation to action being taken by the Crown to recover  £164,028.80 under the Proceeds of Crime Act (see here).

UPDATE 12 October 2024: I’ve received an unconfirmed report that the case against WPC Suzanne Hall has been dropped. I’m seeking confirmation of this and will report in due course.

UPDATE 17 November 2024: Fraud charge dropped? The weird case of WPC Suzanne Hall, wife & mother of convicted peregrine launderers (here)