Ex-LCF CEO and wife face contempt

30 Jan 2026News

Michael and Debbie Thomson, former LCF CEO and his wife, admit to multiple court order breaches

Michael Thomson, the former Chief Executive Officer of the failed investment firm London Capital & Finance Plc (LCF), along with his wife Debbie Thomson, have admitted to breaching a restraint order on several occasions. The couple was held in contempt of court following an application from the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), which is currently investigating suspected fraud and money laundering associated with LCF.

The restraint order was put in place to preserve their assets while the SFO’s investigation is ongoing. Michael Thomson admitted to recklessly breaching the order on two occasions, whereas Debbie acknowledged four separate breaches. Investigators found that the Thomsons had received a £2,000 holiday refund and sold various personal items, including a hot tub and horse saddles, amounting to nearly £5,800.

These infractions occurred while Michael was already serving a suspended sentence for a previous breach, where £95,000 was transferred to his wife in an attempt to hide funds from authorities. The SFO is currently examining the activities of LCF, which resulted in approximately 11,000 investors losing over £237 million from 2014 to 2019.

Michael and Debbie Thomson are scheduled for sentencing on 12th March. Paul Napper, Head of Proceeds of Crime and International Assistance Division, stated that this is the second instance of the Serious Fraud Office successfully holding Michael Thomson in contempt, emphasising the agency’s commitment to act decisively against any non-compliance with restraint orders.

Legal News desk contact: editorial@solicitorsjournal.com

Latest Articles

Family property disputes expose risks of informal financial arrangements

A High Court TOLATA dispute highlights evidential difficulties, freezing injunction thresholds, and risks arising from undocumented family loans

Hantavirus outbreak claims hinge on causation and jurisdiction

Serious ship incidents trigger complex claims where law, evidence, forum and causation determine outcomes

Advertising ruling supports Chris Packham's claim

Advertising Standards Authority rules meat and dairy ads mislead on environmental impact, marking regulatory change

AA v Waltham Forest: Court of Appeal draws firm line between Part 6 and Part 7 housing duties

Steps to allocate social housing cannot be incorporated into a homeless applicant's personal plan, the Court of Appeal has ruled.

Summerson and Brown convictions upheld despite missing mens rea direction in Palestine Action affray case

Court of Appeal confirms affray convictions safe where jury's factual findings make intent inevitable

Amin v Manchester Airport Group: EAT upholds strike-out after deposit order non-payment

Employment Appeal Tribunal confirms no error of law in refusal of relief from sanctions and dismisses bias allegations against tribunal judge

Jennings v Appleby: Lloyd Trust judgement confirms administrative unworkability assessed at creation, not over time

A High Court ruling on a century-old employee welfare trust with over a million potential beneficiaries

Timokhin v Timokhina: High Court refuses stay and awards indemnity costs following Russian judgement enforcement ruling

A former wife's bid to delay enforcement of a £417,000 debt has been dismissed in its entirety, with the court awarding indemnity costs and Part...

Ismailov v Secretary of State: High Court upholds sanctions designation based on family association with Usmanov

The Administrative Court dismisses all seven grounds of challenge to Russia sanctions maintained against the nephew of oligarch Alisher Usmanov.

Lodhia v Twelve Trees: High Court orders costs against claimant who discontinued defamation claim amid document authenticity concerns

A leaseholder who sued his estate's management company for defamation has been ordered to pay substantial costs after discontinuing his claim, with the court also...