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Fourteen deny conspiracy to defraud Thomas Cook

Fourteen people denied conspiring to defraud Thomas Cook of about £235,000 at a hearing at Maidstone Crown Court on September 14.


Nine woman and five men, all from Kent and south London, each pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiring to defraud by false representation between April 1, 2008 and July 27.


Rachel Allgood denied four further fraud charges, Louise Allgood and Pauline McKenna each denied two further fraud charges, while Nikki McKenna, Pauline Checksfield and Tina Walkling each denied one further fraud charge.


Each of the 14 defendants was granted continuing unconditional bail, while Rachel Allgood was granted conditional bail.


Judge Philip Statman fixed a trial date for January 4 next year, with a further directions hearing to take place on November 27.


Police made several arrests at Gatwick, West Sussex, on October 20 last year following an investigation into fraudulently-booked holidays to Jamaica, which were paid for using compromised credit cards.


The group, who first appeared in court in June, are:



  • Pauline McKenna, 38, St Paul’s Road, Strood
  • Nikki McKenna, 28, Royal British Legion Village, Aylesford
  • Jason McKenna, 40, East Peckham, Tonbridge
  • Louise Allgood, 38, Richmond Road, Gillingham
  • Matthew Allgood, 31, Clark Mews, Aylesford
  • Pauline Checksfield, 62, Royal British Legion Village, Aylesford
  • Cheryl Dawson, 21, Royal British Legion Village, Aylesford
  • Clive Whyte, 48, Royal British Legion Village, Aylesford
  • June Stacey, 43, Marden, Kent
  • Chris Farquharson, 28, Forest Hill, London
  • Norman Pooley, 44, from Lenham, Kent
  • Tina Walkling, 46, from Snodland, Kent
  • Haley Donlon, 22, from Maidstone, Kent
  • Rachel Allgood, 27, Royal British Legion Village, Aylesford

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