A UK millionaire who illegally built an extension to his property that caused a nine-year court battle and earned him a six-week jail sentence has sold it for a mere £1.
The property owned by accountant Graham Wildin was sold off in a bid to escape the legal repercussions of a high court battle that saw him landed with a short jail sentence last year when he refused to take it down.
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The sprawling pad boasts a casino, bowling alley and cinema within its illegal 10,000 square feet extension that was erected in 2014.
The property has been in dispute for nine years since it was initially built and irked nearby residents who complained that he built the leisure centre style facilities without proper planning permission and process.
Wildin claimed he had the rights to do amendments to his property due to permitted development rights (PDR), which allow homeowners to make certain changes to their home without planning permission. However the conditions of PDR state this doesn't apply to buildings higher than four metres.
In order to try and get around the height restriction, Wildin dug 18 feet into the hillside and insisted the legal loophole meant his construction was lawful.
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Wildin was ordered to take down the extension in to his property in 2020 and was given 18 weeks to do so.
However the wealthy homeowner refused and instead found himself given a jail sentence for being in contempt of court and for failing to comply with a court order to decommission the building.
The final court ruling on 1 March saw the wealthy Wildin lose his latest legal battle as three High Court judges ruled it was right for him to be jailed last year.
To add insult to injury, they added that he was still liable for £9,962 in costs and could still be open for prosecution if Forest of Dean District Council decide to take it further.
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To date, Wildin has not yet taken down his extravagant home additions and tried to claim that as the property was sold off for £1 he was no longer the legal owner and couldn't be held liable for changes to the property.
Through the Court of Appeal, the Circenster produced land registry documents to prove he was no longer the legal owner, as well as adding that the property couldn't be accessed due to mothballing.
Unfortunately for Wildin, the Court ruled that as the property sale happened after he was sentenced and jailed that it didn't matter and dismissed his claims for an appeal.
Niamh Spence