A LEADING Worcester entrepreneur has appeared in court to face charges of fraud in relation to “misuse of client funds”.

A sombre-looking Brandon Weston attended Worcester Magistrates Court yesterday to answer charges of fraud.

Shaven-headed Weston, who built up award-winning Premier Places letting agency, was dressed in an immaculate dark suit with a blue and black striped tie.

He did not enter a plea to two charges of conspiracy to defraud and eight of fraud by false representation.

Mark Soper, prosecuting, said: “The charges relate to misuse of client funds and it is quite weighty sums of money involved over a period of some years.”

The 41-year-old, of The Old Stores, White Ladies Aston, between Worcester and Pershore, looked straight ahead and appeared grave, speaking only to confirm his name, date of birth and address to the court clerk.

The defendant was photographed outside court wearing glasses but did not wear them once inside court room four or in the waiting area before he was called in by the court usher.

Weston appeared alongside his co-accused, Chris Williams, aged 46, of Church Lane, Whittington, near Worcester, who faces two charges of conspiracy to defraud and six of fraud by false representation.

The two men were side by side but some distance apart as they were told to remain standing while the magistrates addressed them.

The case was adjourned until Monday, October 4, for a preliminary hearing at Worcester Crown Court.

No pleas were indicated to the court and no details of the precise nature of the case were discussed in court by the prosecutor, by Weston’s solicitor Sarah Brady or Williams’s solicitor David Roy.

Both men were granted unconditional bail until their appearance at crown court.

We have already reported in your Worcester News how Weston was arrested in March last year after attending a voluntary police interview.

Weston established Premier Places in 1995 and was awarded entrepreneur of the year at Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce Awards in 2006 and 2008.

Premier Places was sold by Weston to the firm’s accountants Williams Maclaren, which are run by Williams. Williams resigned as a director of the lettings business in January.