WILTSHIRE Police have been lambasted by a district judge for failing to supply the paperwork needed to begin court cases involving 18 defendants in fraud charges amounting to more than £200,000 in alleged losses to home furnishing giant Oak Furniture Land.

JB Global Limited, trading as Oak Furniture Land, founded by Jason Bannister in 2002, is now one of the UK’s leading online retailers and has its UK headquarters in Swindon on the South Marston industrial estate.

The first defendant, Mark Melhado, 50, of Greencote House, Isambard Way, Swindon, indicated to the judge that he would be pleading guilty to the charge of conspiring to conceal, disguise, convert, transfer or remove criminal property, namely £37,952.73 by means of 24 fraudulent refunds to his private bank account.

The judge released him on unconditional bail to appear for sentence at Swindon Crown Court on August 25.

Next up were three defendants for none of whom, prosecutor Nick Barr told the judge, had the police mad ethe relevant paperwork available to the court to enable pleas to be made to the charges.

Chelsea Drayton, 24, of Whitehill Close, Ramsbury, was accused of conspiring by means of three fraudulent refunds to her private bank account to remove criminal property of £5,238.

Amara Tafari Holgate, 20, of Courtenay Road, Walcot, Swindon, was accused of conspiring by means of one fraudulent refund to his private bank account to remove criminal property of £1,841.23.

Jamie Colin Nichols, 25, of Egdon Close, Swindon, was accused of conspiring by means of two fraudulent refunds to his private bank account to remove criminal property of £3,704.50.

“It is a wholly inadequate and disrespectful response of the police to this court,” the judge said, “that they cannot be bothered to let the court or the defence have the paperwork so they are in a position to take a plea.”

Judge Simon Cooper said he had asked the police himself for the necessary paperwork and had been told that the files were just too big to give to the court.

“I realise that the officers have had a huge amount of work to do but this is simply disrespectful,” the judge said.

All three defendants were released on unconditional bail to appear at Swindon Crown Court for a hearing on August 25.

The other defendants involved in the case, with the sum they are accused of defrauding in brackets, are:

Aaron Jack Kennett, 27, of Clifton Street, Swindon (£213,447.17). Mr Kennett is additionally charged that between August 4, 2014 and September 10, 2015 while occupying a position as sales support consultant he dishonestly abused that position intending thereby to cause a loss to JB Global Ltd.

Corey Lee Chutooree, 25, of St Marys Grove, Swindon (3,347.25); Stephen George Cook, 25, of Phoebe Way, Swindon (£17,832.06); Marcel Ashley Douglas, 27, off York Road, Swindon (£14,680.06); Craig Aaron Hall, 27, of Winwick Road, Freshbrook (£4,549.46);

Alfie Nicholson-Murphy, 25, of Elmdale Road, Clifton, Bristol, (£1,525.66); Luke William Paterson, 29, of Whitehill Close, Ramsbury (£2,145.20);

Liam Thomas Porteous, 27, of Thurney Drive, Grange Park, Swindon (£42,073.95); Marvin Paris Porteous, 31, of Beaulieu Close, Toothill, Swindon (£18,887.61); Bruce Porteous, 53, of Crawford Close, Freshbrook, Swindon (£8,938.83);

Lewis Paul Turner, 24, of Powell Place, Nightingale Rise, Swindon (£51,835.8l7); Nina June Turner, 49, of Castleview Road, Chiseldon (£12,661.15); Declan Mark Wilson, 22, of Pasteur Drive Swindon (£7,585.39).

All are due to appear at Swindon Crown Court on August 25.