14 November 2019
Arti’s business is flourishing and he is contacted regularly by individuals looking to sell artwork. Arti prides himself on being able to strike a good deal.
One day Arti is approached by Mr Scott Free who is looking to sell a small painting. Mr Free tells Arti that he is clearing out his aunt’s house after she recently passed away and thinks the painting might be worth something.
Arti identifies the painting immediately as being by a distinguished artist and snaps it up at a bargain rate of £1000, knowing that he has just the right buyer in mind to turn a profit of 4 times this amount! Arti considers this to be a very good day’s work.
Around a week later Police attend at Arti’s house and tell him that the painting was stolen from a stately home in a spate of recent thefts in the area. Arti is charged with ‘reset’ – handling stolen goods. Prosecutors allege that Arti was ‘wilfully blind’ as to the possible criminal source of the painting and that he paid a very low value for it – they describe this as a ‘rogue’s bargain’.
Arti and Collette are very worried. Very worried indeed. Arti could face a period of imprisonment if convicted and his reputation would be in tatters.
Arti instructs BTO’s expert Criminal and Regulatory Defence Team to defend him. After obtaining expert advice from independent appraisers relating to the market value of the painting, and ingathering a volume of references from the art community vouching Arti’s good name, BTO successfully persuade Prosecutors to discontinue proceedings against him.
Vikki Watt, Partner & Solicitor Advocate: vwa@bto.co.uk / 0141 221 8012
