Criminal who went on lavish spending spree after retaining wrongful credit must repay £90k or go back to jail
He bought a high-performance car engine, a £3,500 Louis Vuitton bag and showered friends with cash during a lavish, two-month spending spree
A Sheffield man who went on a lavish shopping spree after an online marketplace transaction saw him wrongfully pocket tens of thousands of pounds must repay £90,000 or face jail time.
50-year-old Simon Jackson has just three months to repay a total of £91,438, following his conviction at Sheffield Crown Court for retaining a wrongful credit.
Jackson was jailed for 12 months following his conviction, and he could now be sent back to prison if he fails to stump up the cash.
The sum owed by Jackson, of Foxwood Avenue, Intake, Sheffield was reached following a complex investigation from South Yorkshire Police’s Economic Crime Unit (ECU).
A force spokesperson said although criminal proceedings have concluded, the ECU’s Asset Recovery Team sought to ensure that Jackson would not be able to continue to benefit from his crime once released from prison.
Officers investigated how Jackson had benefited from his illegal activity before calculating what he had available to pay.
This can include physical assets, such as luxury clothing or property, as well as any money available in the bank.
Detailing the criminal activity that led to Jackson’s conviction, the South Yorkshire Police spokesperson added: “In 2021, after listing an item for £10,000,000 on an online marketplace, Simon Jackson claimed the item was sold 'off-site'. The website calculated a seller's fee of £300,245 but due to the 'off-site' sale the payment was due to be cancelled.
“However, the platforms' system defaulted to make a refund that it thought the seller was owed - despite no refund being due - resulting in Jackson receiving the £300,245 into his account.
“Within 48 hours of this Jackson, who was fully aware that this was an error, had transferred the money to his own bank accounts which he then further transferred to other accounts, as well as closing the initial account the refund was transferred to.
“Examination of his bank accounts showed that he then went on a two-month spending spree, including a high-performance car engine, jewellery, a Louis Vuitton bag worth £3,500 and substantial cash gifts to friends.”
Jackson was handed a confiscation order at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday, September 11, 2026 where he was found to have a financial benefit of £350,000 and was ordered to pay back £91,438 within three months.
Failure to pay in this period comes with a default custodial sentence of three years.