Travel boss and father of award-winning agent jailed
A travel company boss whose daughter was an award-winning travel agent has been jailed after fleecing business owners of more than £1 million.
Simon Eason, a former director of failed Wiltshire travel agency Sunshine Travel, pleaded guilty at Bristol Crown Court to two counts of obtaining money transferred by deception and two counts of fraud, between June 2006 and April 2012.
Eason, from Wick, swindled four businessmen out of £1.1 million, after promising to use the cash to help dig them out of financial difficulties.
The court heard that instead, Eason used the money to prop up his own failing businesses.
In December 2012, Sunshine Travel, the agency set up by Eason’s daughter Karen Matthews in Corsham, Wiltshire collapsed.
At the time, Eason, who had earlier resigned his directorship of the agency, blamed banks for calling in a loan and the landlord for terminating the lease.
The agency, run by Karen who was a former Shine Award winner, specialised in selling holidays to Florida, including arranging travel for customers who booked accommodation through Eason’s other business, Florida Sun Homes.
Sunshine Travel was a member of the Global Travel Group.
Sentencing Eason to four years and eight months in prison, Recorder Ian Lawrie QC described him as ‘a thoroughly corrupt and dishonest individual’.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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