The GFG blog has long taken an interest in the goings on of Mark Kerbey, aka Richard Sage.
In fact there have been 18 blog posts since 2008 about his antics – see here
So when we received a couple of e-mails from long standing readers pointing us to this article in the Basildon Canvey and Southend Echo, we were unsurprised to see that Mr Sage is appearing in court in Basildon at this very moment, denying three counts of fraud by misrepresentation.
The charges are that between August 2012 and October 2014, three couples handed over thousands of pounds to Mr Sage in payment for funeral plans that apparently were not arranged.
The trial began yesterday and is due to last three days.
Mr Sage appeared in the dock on crutches and with one arm in a sling. The reasons for this were not mentioned by the Echo.
We’ll keep you posted as to the verdict.
Update 23.05.18 – The jury found Mr Sage guilty of one count of fraud. Sentencing has been postponed until June 25th to enable Mr Sage’s medical treatment for his injured hand to be continued. See today’s newspaper report here.
Guilty as charged – http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/16243918.Con_artist_is_found_guilty_of_a_funeral_cash_scam/
This is horrendous! This man conducted my brothers funeral on June 1st 2018 and I can reassure you that he is still doing fraud. He overcharged us in every way possible, he had no compassion whatsoever and only called us when payments were due.. I am not sure he is even meant to be conducting funerals. Who can I report this to? I wish I had known all this earlier, I knew there was something off with him from the minute he stepped into my home.
Nyero, sounds like his medical treatment ended sooner than the judge thought it might! Anyone on here know if he was allowed to conduct funerals during his pre-sentencing period? Think it might be worth mentioning to the court that he was recovered enough by 1 June to conduct a funeral particularly as they delayed his sentencing to allow time for medical treatment.
It seems crazy that a man previously found guilty of fraud in connection with arranging funerals (alongside previous fraud convictions and custodial sentences) is still allowed to operate as a funeral director with Trinity Funeral Homes in Westcliffe on Sea . It has been our misfortune to deal with this evasive, deceitful and thoroughly unprofessional individual. We only wish that we had seen the background information on these pages prior to our involvement with him. Our advice – avoid him at all costs!
We where scammed by Richard Sage
I just check over the years and can’t believe he is still doing it, it upset us so much at the time, had to let it go can’t believe Someone could steal off the dead
and get away with it, there was lots of us, not a few, his case was over when we found out no one told us his court date and we asked police to notify us, so be very careful he uses lots different names his web site was so professional, even had big shop in our village for years it’s getting to me so put it down to a bad experience, he is a wicked man.