CITY BROKER WENT ON CRIME SPREE TO PAY OFF DRUG DEBT

A city broker who had a UKP300-a-day cocaine habit resorted to crime to pay
off a debt owed to a drugs baron, a court was told yesterday.

Daman Chappell, 30, who worked for the Rothschild Partnership, went on an
illicit shopping spree across London to help clear the UKP2,000 debt, after
receiving menacing telephone calls.

Armed with a "cloned" American Express platinum card provided by his dealer,
Chappell was told that a quarter of the value of every purchase would be
deducted from his "overdraft".

He bought items worth a total of UKP13,226 from Harrods, Selfridges and
other stores before anyone became suspicious, Southwark Crown Court was
told. The final bill included a UKP4,800 watch and a UKP1,480 dress from
Harrods.

Chappell was caught four days into his life of crime when a suspicious shop
manageress at a branch of the jewellers Ernest Jones called police as he
tried to purchase a ladies' UKP2,900 Rolex watch. He admitted eight charges
of obtaining by deception and one of attempted deception.

After Chappell promised to pay back the credit card company in full within
two years, the judge decided not to jail him immediately. Michael Levy,
defending, said the offences committed in May last year were "completely out
of character".

His client, who was educated at Millfield, in Somerset, lived with his
parents at Wheatleys Eyot, Sunbury on Thames, Surrey. Mr Levy said: "He was
a City boy leading a typical City lifestyle - staying out late, going to
clubs, drinking champagne and snorting cocaine."

Before long, he had a UKP300-a-day habit and found himself owing thousands
of pounds with interest at UKP100 a day. When he could not pay, the campaign
of "extremely threatening" phone calls began to both Chappell and his
parents. In an attempt to escape, Chappell sought refuge in Hove, East
Sussex, but was traced by the drug dealers.

Mr Levy said: "No matter where he lived, the calls kept on coming through."
Mr Levy told the court that his client, who is to start work for a finance
house based in St Hellier in the Channel Islands, was too frightened to
identify his tormentors, for fear of putting his family in jeopardy.

He said: "He thinks, perhaps naively, that by being punished by a court that
these people would somehow leave him alone." Recorder David Lederman, QC,
said because the case was exceptional he was able to suspend a two-year
prison sentence for two years.

He told Chappell: "I accept you were being threatened by whoever in respect
of a debt owed by you as a result of a cocaine habit which you then had. I
also accept you no longer have the drug habit."

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett