Four in court over Patisserie Valerie collapse

Four people have appeared in court over the collapse of bakery chain Patisserie Valerie.

Christopher Marsh, a former director and chief financial officer of Patisserie Holdings, the company behind Patisserie Valerie, and his wife, accountant Louise Marsh, were charged by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).

Mr Marsh’s former number two, financial controller Pritesh Mistry, and financial consultant Nileshkumar Lad also face fraud charges.

An investigation was launched by the SFO in 2018 into a case which saw the bakery chain, which had 200 stores, tumble into administration with a £94 million hole in its accounts in 2019.

The four defendants sat side by side in the dock at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, speaking only to confirm their names and addresses.

Christopher Marsh, 49, and Louise Marsh, 55, both from St Albans, Hertfordshire, Mistry, 41, from Leicester, and Lad, 50, from Harrow, north-west London, all face charges of conspiracy to defraud.

Christopher Marsh, Mistry and Lad also face five charges of fraud by false representation and one of making or supplying an article for use in fraud.

Christopher Marsh also faces a charge of making false representations as a company director.

None of the defendants was asked to enter any pleas.

District Judge Daniel Sternberg sent the case to be heard at Southwark Crown Court on November 7.

All four defendants were granted conditional bail, and ordered not to contact each other, except for Christopher and Louise Marsh, who live together.