A British fraudster who conned UK pensioners out of millions of pounds has been jailed in Spain.
Ex model Jody Pearson, also known as Jody Smart, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years behind bars in Costa Blanca after she left hundreds of expats out of pocket through her collapsed firm.
The 50-year-old lost both of her appeals and was found guilty of fraud in a Spanish court and has been jailed in Alicante’s Cumplimiento prison – but had handed herself in voluntarily.
Pearson is the former boss of the disgraced Continental Wealth Management (CWM), which abruptly closed in 2017, leaving over 900 expats unable to access their retirement funds and investment bonds.
In April last year, Pearson was finally convicted for deliberately swindling expats Sally Anne Hodgson and Tim Benjamin out of money.
The pair both handed CWM money for a Costa Blanca property which never actually existed.
It is estimated the collapse of the business lost clients of Pearson and her partner Darren Kirby around £29million.
The Briton was convicted after a trio of pensioners complained.
Jody Pearson, also known as Jody Smart, a former model turned bar owner, was convicted of fraud in April last year
She was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail but had been allowed to continue running the Oceana Club in Benissa while she appealed the verdict. But she is now behind bars
Sally Anne Hodgson lent CWM £59,000 and was never repaid and Tim Benjamin gave CWM money for a property which allegedly did not exist.
Mark Davison lost £679,000 but he died before he was able to see Pearson put behind bars.
The fraudster has been ordered to pay £316,000 in compensation to Ms Hodgson and Mr Benjamin.
The ex model appealed her conviction to the Valencia High Court and then Spain’s Supreme Court – but failed both times.
