Infamous NW property fraudster found dead at his rented flat

An infamous northern tycoon jailed for his role in a £4.4 million property fraud has been found dead by the landlord of his rented accommodation.

Ken Metcalf was jailed in 2011 for four years and eight months after a court heard how, after his legitimate business interests got into trouble, he ripped off over 53 property investors via a string of companies under the Tailormade trading name.

From 2005 onwards, many of the investors were lured in by property vehicles which, Metcalf promised at the time, would produce a 50% return on investment in various property construction projects.

Metcalf was able to dupe investors because of his apparently wealth which included a £1 million mansion in Cheshire, fast cars and expensive watches.

But his scams, which eventually imploded, left families torn apart and many of his investors ruined financially, it was reported at the time.

His wife and mother of their two children, who was found to have helped secure a mortgage on their mansion dishonesty, left him once the frauds were uncovered.

Property fraud

After serving his sentence his fall from grace continued and after returning to his home town of Chester, he developed alcohol problems and depression – and his brother told an inquest into this death that Metcalf had not worked since his scams were uncovered.

The inquest heard how his landlord discovered Metcalf’s body in a flat after he failed to pay the rent.

Although he was not in the best of health, the coroner was unable to establish a cause of death, recording it as ‘unascertained’.

Read more about million-pound fraud cases.