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Loan shark jailed
Jailed Manchester loan shark must return £1.2m
John Kiely was convicted of two counts of blackmail
A loan shark who preyed on hundreds of vulnerable people in Manchester has been ordered to pay back £1.2m. John Kiely, 36, is serving a five-year sentence after being found guilty of blackmail in July last year.
Kiely, who lived in a seven-bedroom mock Tudor castle complete with turret in Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, charged up to 2,437% interest on loans.
He must pay up within six months, the Proceeds of Crime Act hearing in Manchester ruled.
Slab of concrete
Kiely used an army of enforcers to collect debts owed by families on east Manchester housing estates.
A jury also convicted him of acquiring criminal property, converting criminal property, illegal money-lending and failing to provide information to the Office of Fair Trading.
Loan-sharking is a despicable crime 
Tony Quigley, from NWTS
Kiely made £3.6m between 2003 and 2007 as a result of his illegal money-lending business, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court was told.
One of his victims was auxiliary nurse Donna Ockerby, who borrowed £300 from Kiely to pay for her wedding dress.
When she fell behind with her weekly payments, he grabbed her by the neck and threw a slab of concrete through her window.
She was so scared she moved to a secret location, the court heard.
Kiely, who has a conviction for assault on one of his clients, was investigated and prosecuted by the North West Trading Standard's (NWTS) illegal money-lending team.
Speaking after the case, Tony Quigley, from NWTS, said: "Today's hearing shows that not only will we continue to put violent loan sharks behind bars, we will hit them where it hurts - financially.
"Loan-sharking is a despicable crime and this shows we will not allow them to profit on the backs of the most vulnerable members of society."
Jailed Manchester loan shark must return £1.2m
John Kiely was convicted of two counts of blackmailA loan shark who preyed on hundreds of vulnerable people in Manchester has been ordered to pay back £1.2m. John Kiely, 36, is serving a five-year sentence after being found guilty of blackmail in July last year.
Kiely, who lived in a seven-bedroom mock Tudor castle complete with turret in Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, charged up to 2,437% interest on loans.
He must pay up within six months, the Proceeds of Crime Act hearing in Manchester ruled.
Slab of concrete
Kiely used an army of enforcers to collect debts owed by families on east Manchester housing estates.
A jury also convicted him of acquiring criminal property, converting criminal property, illegal money-lending and failing to provide information to the Office of Fair Trading.
Loan-sharking is a despicable crime Tony Quigley, from NWTS
Kiely made £3.6m between 2003 and 2007 as a result of his illegal money-lending business, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court was told.
One of his victims was auxiliary nurse Donna Ockerby, who borrowed £300 from Kiely to pay for her wedding dress.
When she fell behind with her weekly payments, he grabbed her by the neck and threw a slab of concrete through her window.
She was so scared she moved to a secret location, the court heard.
Kiely, who has a conviction for assault on one of his clients, was investigated and prosecuted by the North West Trading Standard's (NWTS) illegal money-lending team.
Speaking after the case, Tony Quigley, from NWTS, said: "Today's hearing shows that not only will we continue to put violent loan sharks behind bars, we will hit them where it hurts - financially.
"Loan-sharking is a despicable crime and this shows we will not allow them to profit on the backs of the most vulnerable members of society."
Jailed Manchester loan shark must return £1.2m
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