Andrew Wormstone must repay £9,548 from Hull mortgage scam or face nearly 6 months in prison
A crooked solicitor who played a part in a Hull mortgage fraud conspiracy has been ordered to pay back the money he gained from the scam or risk going to prison.
Andrew Wormstone, 49, admitted three charges of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation before last year’s ten-week trial at Hull Crown Court. The case saw former Hull KR rugby star Alfie Goulbourne, his brother Darren, and Darren’s partner Julie Crane all convicted of multiple fraud charges.
Wormstone, once a practising solicitor, avoided the witness box by entering guilty pleas ahead of the complex trial. He later received a 16-month sentence, suspended for 18 months. But this week he was back before the courts, facing financial reckoning under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
At a confiscation hearing on Monday, prosecutors and Wormstone’s legal representatives agreed that the total “benefit” from his offending amounted to £9,548.02. That figure was also accepted as the available sum. Judge David Tremberg therefore issued a confiscation order requiring Wormstone to pay the money by 5 June. If he fails to do so, he could be jailed for 24 weeks.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe court heard that Wormstone’s role supported a larger scheme masterminded by the Goulbourne brothers and their associates. The conspiracy targeted cheap properties in Hull, manipulating their value through swift sales and inflated mortgages.
Jurors were told during the trial that homes were purchased at knockdown prices and then sold on the same day at dramatically higher valuations. One example involved a pre-war terrace house on Granville Street, west Hull, which was bought for £20,000 and then re-mortgaged the very same day on a claimed valuation of £91,000.
The scheme unravelled under scrutiny, with investigators exposing the network of false representations, bogus paperwork, and exaggerated property values. Alfie and Darren Goulbourne, alongside Crane, were each convicted of ten conspiracy counts. Another defendant, Christopher Jones, was also tried as part of the same case.
Wormstone’s decision to admit his part spared him the harsher penalties imposed on others, but it left him open to confiscation proceedings. Judge Tremberg emphasised that the figure of £9,548 was not an arbitrary sum but a calculation of direct criminal benefit. The order makes clear that if he fails to comply, his suspended sentence will not protect him from an immediate term in custody.
The ruling closes another chapter in a case that attracted significant attention due to the Goulbourne brothers’ high profile. Alfie Goulbourne had enjoyed a rugby league career with Hull Kingston Rovers, while Darren had built a reputation on the city’s nightlife scene as a DJ. Their convictions exposed how both men used property scams to generate illicit profits, exploiting legal processes and financial systems to fuel their scheme.
For Wormstone, the consequences have been career-ending. Once a practising solicitor trusted with client affairs, his conviction has left his professional reputation in ruins. The court’s order now underlines that crime has not only cost him his standing but has also left him liable to repay what he gained or face jail.
The hearing was brief but decisive. With no dispute between prosecution and defence over the figures, Judge Tremberg confirmed the confiscation order and set the deadline. Wormstone, who did not attend court, will now be expected to repay the exact amount to avoid immediate imprisonment.
The case remains a stark reminder of how professionals who betray trust for financial gain can find their liberty on the line. For Hull, the fraud has left a trail of ruined reputations and criminal records, with Wormstone the latest to face the financial fallout of a conspiracy that exploited both property markets and the public trust in legal professionals.