R v Hunter (Peter)

Subject Matter

CRIME — Fraud — Fraudulent trading — Defendants’ company buying and reselling tickets for cultural and sporting events by circumventing event organisers’ terms and conditions restricting purchase and resale — Defendants charged with carrying on business of company for fraudulent purpose — Whether offence subject to limitations applying to common law offence of conspiracy to defraud — Whether prosecution required to prove intention to deceive — Whether prosecution required to prove harm or prejudice to interest of others — Whether question of fairness of event organisers’ terms and conditions to be left to jury — Whether doctrine of equity’s darling operating so as to free ultimate purchasers of tickets from event organisers’ terms and conditions — Companies Act 2006 (c 46), s 993(1) — Consumer Rights Act 2015 (c 15), s 71

[2021] EWCA Crim 1785; [2023] QB 1; [2022] 3 WLR 485; [2022] 1 Cr App R 13; [2022] WLR(D) 1, CA