A couple from St Albans accused of fraud after the collapse of bakery chain Patisserie Valerie will not face trial until 2026.
Ex-chief financial officer Christopher Marsh, 49, and his wife Louise Marsh, 55, were charged with dishonestly inflating the cash on Patisserie Valerie’s balance sheets between 2015 and 2018, and misleading banks Barclays and HSBC.
Appearing at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday (November 7) alongside their fellow accused, former financial controller Pritesh Mistry, 41, and financial consultant Nileshkumar Lad, 50, the four sat in the dock and only spoke to confirm their names.
The quartet was granted conditional bail and ordered not to contact each other, except for Christopher and Louise Marsh, who live together.
READ MORE: St Albans couple in court over Patisserie Valerie fraud
They will appear at the same court on April 26 next year to enter pleas, and are scheduled for trial on March 2, 2026.
Mr Marsh faces an additional count of publishing a statement with intent to deceive members or creditors, and Ms Marsh faces a single count of conspiracy to defraud.
Mr Marsh, Lad and Mistry have also each been charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud, five counts of fraud by false representation, and one count of making or supplying documents used for fraud.
All four are accused of inflating profits, hiding debts, and presenting bogus figures in Patisserie Valerie's annual accounts and public statements.
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