Company Owner Convicted of £1.1 Million Jewellery Fraud: Southwark Crown Court

NewsBrighton NewsBrighton and HoveCrime
Written By Tim Graichi Cucarella
Southwark Crown Court building with the headline Company owner convicted of £1.1 million fraud

A company owner from Southwick, just along the coast from Brighton and Hove, has been convicted of fraud after victims lost more than £1.15 million selling or repairing jewellery, watches and precious metals through his businesses. Sussex Police say James Charles, 49, also known as James Goatley, was convicted of four counts of fraudulent trading at Southwark Crown Court, and he is due to be sentenced on 5 November 2026.

Detective Constable Graham Gray, the officer in charge, described the offending as “prolific, premeditated and unremorseful”.

Southwark Crown Court, a brick building with a covered entrance, seen from the pavement in autumn
Southwark Crown Court in London (Photo: Jorge Franganillo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Over £1,159,000
lost by victims, say police
4 counts
of fraudulent trading
2022 to 2024
the period of the offending
5 November
date set for sentencing

Sources: Sussex Police, 15 October 2026, Sussex Express, 15 October 2026, Sussex News, 15 October 2026 and Brighton and Hove News, 15 October 2026

How the scheme worked

Sussex Police say Charles ran the fraud through two companies, Olympia Mayfair and later National Gold Buyers, between August 2022 and 2024.

1
A specialist service on paper
Olympia Mayfair was advertised as a specialist service for reselling and repairing high-value jewellery, watches and precious metals. Police say it was promoted on a reputable website and that Charles paid search engines to rank it highly.
2
Questionnaire and meeting
Victims filled in a questionnaire about the items they wanted to sell. Charles then arranged to meet them, either at a rental office or at their homes.
3
A promise to pay
He promised to reimburse victims once items had been sold or repaired, minus a small commission.
4
The money never arrived
Many items were sold, but police say dozens of victims received only a small fraction of the sale price and some were never reimbursed.
Rows of gold bars stacked together, with stamped markings on their surfaces
File photo: gold bars, not from this case (Photo: Chepry, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

What the court heard

During the trial, Brighton and Hove News reported that prosecutors said Charles valued items, agreed to sell them for clients while charging commission, and took possession of them. They said he then paid only a fraction of the agreed price, or nothing at all, and paid the proceeds into bank accounts. The items named in court included Rolex, Patek Philippe, Omega and Panerai watches, rings, gold coins, gold bars and diamonds. Read the Brighton and Hove News trial report for the full account.

One example given in court involved a Rolex watch that a client agreed to sell for £28,000. After commission, the client was due £26,050.

Agreed sale price£28,000
Due to the client after commission£26,050
Actually paid to the client£16,050

Figures from the trial as reported by Brighton and Hove News, 9 October 2026. The court was also told a receipt showed the watch had sold for £15,750.

The same report says another client had a Patek Philippe watch valued at £45,000 taken from them in November 2023 and never received payment or the watch back. Both witnesses told the court they had found Olympia Mayfair through an online search.

Close-up of the blue dial and bezel of a Rolex Submariner wristwatch
File photo: a luxury watch, not an item from this case (Photo: Eternalsleeper, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

From arrest to conviction

August 2022
Sussex Police say the period of offending begins.
11 February 2024
Charles is arrested and released on police bail while enquiries continue.
While on bail
Police say he set up National Gold Buyers and carried on defrauding victims.
30 August 2024
He is arrested for a second time.
27 February 2026
Charged with 24 counts of fraud by false representation and two counts of money laundering, and remanded in custody. The fraud charges were later combined into four counts of fraudulent trading.
5 October 2026
A six-week trial begins at Southwark Crown Court.
12 and 13 October
Police say he pleaded guilty to the four counts of fraudulent trading on 12 October and that the jury convicted him of the same offences the following day. The two money laundering offences were ordered to lie on the file.
5 November 2026
Sentencing is due. Charles remains in custody until then.

“Charles’ offending was prolific, premeditated and unremorseful.”

“The scale of his deception was vast and the impact on victims cannot be underestimated.”

Detective Constable Graham Gray, Sussex Police Economic Crime Unit

DC Gray also thanked everyone who supported what he called an extensive and complex investigation, which was carried out by the Sussex Police Economic Crime Unit.

Selling valuables: sensible steps

The police release did not include advice for the public, but these general steps are worth knowing before handing over anything valuable to be sold on your behalf.

Check independent reviews
Look beyond the company’s own website and the top search result.
Get terms in writing
Agree the price, the commission and the date you will be paid before the item leaves your hands.
Keep your own records
Keep photos, serial numbers, valuations and receipts for anything you hand over.
Report it quickly
If you think you have been a victim, report it online or call 101 for Sussex Police.
Report fraud onlineReport Fraud, the national reporting service. You can also call 0300 123 2040.

We have also covered the Sussex Police warning about fake cyber crime unit scam calls and a police appeal after bank cards were stolen on Kings Road in Brighton.

More local stories are under Crime and Brighton and Hove on ImJustBrighton.

Read more from ImJustBrighton

Sussex Police Scam Call Warning: Fake Cyber Crime Unit Calls

Kings Road Brighton: Bank Cards Stolen, Police ID Appeal

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Tim Graichi Cucarella

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