Ilkley businessman who claimed to be in 'induced coma' admits running business
The 69 year old had previously been barred from running a business
A MAN has pleaded guilty to running a media company while being banned from operating a business.
Peter Etherington, 69, appeared at Bradford Crown Court on Friday where he admitted to a charge brought by the Insolvency Service.
He will now be sentenced in May.
Etherington, of Belle Vue, Ilkley, had been barred from being involved in the running of a company by the Insolvency Service.
But on Friday he acknowledged he had acted as a director of PP Global Media Ltd while serving that ban.
During the brief hearing Etherington only spoke to confirm his name and plead guilty to the charge.
A Mr Walker, representing Etherington, asked Judge McKone to allow at least 10 weeks for a medical report and a probation report to be prepared before passing sentence.
The full charge was:
“Between 10/04/2019 and 28/10/2022 at Ilkley, being the subject of a disqualification order made by Bradford & Keighley MC under section 13 of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986, you acted in contravention of the order in that you acted as a director or in the management of PP Global Media Limited whilst disqualified from acting as a director and without leave of the court.”
Judge McKone set a sentencing date of May 27, and told Etherington: “You must attend on that date. If you don’t you will be committing an offence.”
Etherington had been due to make his first appearance at Bradford Magistrates in January, but on the court date Magistrates were read a letter, purporting to be from a family member, saying he had been placed in an induced coma before Christmas and so would be unable to attend.
A representative of the Insolvency Service, the national body prosecuting the case, cast doubt on this claim, saying Etherington had reportedly been spotted shopping in Tesco in the time he was alleged to have been in a coma.
It was also claimed he had updated his Facebook profile and signed a legal document in this period.
Magistrates issued a warrant for his arrest, and Etherington eventually appeared in court in February.
On that occasion he gave no indication of plea, but a Mr Holsgrove of the Insolvency Service gave more background to the case. He said: “In 2017 he was disqualified from acting as a director, with that disqualification expiring in 2028.
“A further disqualification was imposed in 2020, which expires in 2031.
“In 2022 a third disqualification was imposed, which expires in 2032.
“The defendant has previously been convicted of acting as a director, and received 12 months imprisonment suspended for 24 months.”