By . Tara Brady . PUBLISHED: . 11:51 EST, 10 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:46 EST, 11 September 2013 . Two members of a family of fraudsters who conned elderly investors in a £4.5 million fine wine scam have been jailed for a total of ten-and-a-half years. Daniel Snelling, 38, tricked scores of investors into putting thousands of pounds into Australian wine - dubbed the ‘best money could buy’. Along with his sister, Dina Snelling, 35, and their cousin Rebecca McDonald, 43, he vowed to sell the fine-wine at massive profits after three years in ‘premium storage’. Daniel Snelling along with his sister Dina vowed to sell the fine-wine at massive profits after three years in ‘premium storage’. The firm raked in £2.5million by offering thousands of bottles but then closed the business . The firm, Nouveau World Wines, raked in £2.5 million by offering thousands of bottles - but pulled the plug on the business before investors could retrieve their cash. Snelling then reinvested the money in a second con, Finbow Wines, selling cheap Italian wine at events such as the 2010 World Cup. They raked in an average of £5,000 from investors - many of them elderly - and even persuaded some to buy 10,000 bottles a time. In fact only a fraction of the wine was ever produced. Rebecca McDonald was jailed for three years at Southwark Crown Court today . Snelling was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years, and McDonald was jailed for three years at Southwark Crown Court today. Wearing grey, McDonald broke down in tears as she was led out of the dock by uniformed guards, and there were cries from the public gallery as her family sobbed ‘she is innocent’ and shouted 'it’s a disgrace'. Dina Snelling was not in court today as she was admitted to hospital last week after her depression deteriorated. She will be sentenced on October 11. Sentencing Snelling, Judge Michael Grieve QC said: 'In my assessment you are not so much a cold and calculated criminal, but one whose conscience is eased by self delusion and denial.' He added: 'The combined monetary loss amounted to just over £4.5m. 'Your victims were individuals in many instances elderly and retired people looking for a return on their modest savings. 'They were not for the most part seasoned investors and the conspiracy relied on their vulnerability. 'One hard sell came close to emotional blackmail and a recording played to the court was heart-rending. 'In my view a significant proportion of the investors can be described as vulnerable. 'There were a large number of victims that run into the hundreds. 'You Daniel Snelling instigated, designed and were the driving force behind both conspiracies. 'You brought in members of your family to help with the running of both frauds. Your sister Dina and cousin Rebecca, their current predicaments are in a large part due to you.' Snelling was also banned from being a company director for ten years and subject to a Serious Crime Prevention Order which restricts his business activities. Deceit: Photograph shows a Nouveau wine brochure which was used to persuade victims to hand over cash . Turning to McDonald, Judge Grieve added: 'The seriousness of the offence for which I have to sentence you makes an immediate custodial sentence utterly inescapable.' Daniel Snelling enjoyed an ‘extravagant’ lifestyle with the cash he raked in - spending his ill-gotten gains on flashy cars and trips to Australia, while Dina spent the money on cosmetic surgery, the court was told. Jane Osbourne, prosecuting, said: 'The victims can properly be described as vulnerable. They were individuals who were investing in some cases the entirety of their life savings.' Daniel Snelling launched the fraud in January 2007 as the sole shareholder and company director of Nouveau World Wines. With Dina as office director and McDonald, a former employee of accountancy giant KPMG, working as business development manager, they cold-called victims promising top-end wines as a better investment than stocks and shares. Daniel Snelling launched the fraud in January 2007 as the sole shareholder and company director of Nouveau World Wines . The trio pretended to have “prestige” offices in Berkeley Square, Mayfair, which was actually just a postal address for their real base in Greenwich, south-east London. Between January 2007 and August 2009, Snelling’s firm promised to make 39,000 bottles of fine wine - but in fact produced just a quarter of that sum. Facing the heat of investors who had put in £2.5million, Dempsey pulled the plug on Nouveau World Wines and ploughed much of the profit into a new venture, Finbow Wines. But again, investors never saw a return on the money put into the scam, and just two containers were actually purchased and shipped to China. Just as Snelling and his fraudster family were about to duck out again and move on to a third wine scam venture, selling Old World wines, cops swooped on March 4, 2010. In mitigation, the court heard how the victims 'should not be treated as vulnerable', as they were willing to 'take calculated risks'. Dorian Lovell-Plank, defending Daniel Snelling, said: 'This was not a case of switching on a light and becoming fraudulent overnight. Nouveau was a company that started well and ended badly.' The sentencing resumed from yesterday after the hearing was 'regrettably' cut short by Judge Grieve because Serco prison officers were showing gang members around the cells to put them off breaking the law. The family of the defendants, which packed out the seats around the dock, blasted 'you’re joking' when the Judge adjourned at 4pm - even though the case was almost over. Lies: Photograph shows the investor kit sent to the victims of the fraud . Jailed: Daniel Snelling was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years imprisonment . Behind bars: McDonald broke down in tears as she was led out of the dock by uniformed guards . Daniel Snelling, of Sutton, south London, was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to defraud and two further counts of converting criminal property. McDonald, of Bexleyheath, south-east London, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to defraud. The jury failed to reach a verdict on a second conspiracy charge, which has been left on the court file. Dina Snelling, of Chislehurst, south-east London, was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to defraud and will be sentenced on October 11. French-speaking Simon Dempsey, 43, of Sidcup, south east London, walked free after he was cleared by the jury of helping to front the Finbow Wines venture.
Daniel Snelling tricked scores of investors into investing thousands of pounds into Australian wine .
The 38-year-old had the help of his sister, Dina, and cousin Rebecca McDonald who vowed to sell the wine at massive profits .
Nouveau World Wines raked in £2.5 million but pulled the plug before investors could get their cash .
Snelling was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years and McDonald was jailed for three years .
By . Tara Brady . PUBLISHED: . 11:51 EST, 10 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:46 EST, 11 September 2013 . Two members of a family of fraudsters who conned elderly investors in a £4.5 million fine wine scam have been jailed for a total of ten-and-a-half years. Daniel Snelling, 38, tricked scores of investors into putting thousands of pounds into Australian wine - dubbed the ‘best money could buy’. Along with his sister, Dina Snelling, 35, and their cousin Rebecca McDonald, 43, he vowed to sell the fine-wine at massive profits after three years in ‘premium storage’. Daniel Snelling along with his sister Dina vowed to sell the fine-wine at massive profits after three years in ‘premium storage’. The firm raked in £2.5million by offering thousands of bottles but then closed the business . The firm, Nouveau World Wines, raked in £2.5 million by offering thousands of bottles - but pulled the plug on the business before investors could retrieve their cash. Snelling then reinvested the money in a second con, Finbow Wines, selling cheap Italian wine at events such as the 2010 World Cup. They raked in an average of £5,000 from investors - many of them elderly - and even persuaded some to buy 10,000 bottles a time. In fact only a fraction of the wine was ever produced. Rebecca McDonald was jailed for three years at Southwark Crown Court today . Snelling was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years, and McDonald was jailed for three years at Southwark Crown Court today. Wearing grey, McDonald broke down in tears as she was led out of the dock by uniformed guards, and there were cries from the public gallery as her family sobbed ‘she is innocent’ and shouted 'it’s a disgrace'. Dina Snelling was not in court today as she was admitted to hospital last week after her depression deteriorated. She will be sentenced on October 11. Sentencing Snelling, Judge Michael Grieve QC said: 'In my assessment you are not so much a cold and calculated criminal, but one whose conscience is eased by self delusion and denial.' He added: 'The combined monetary loss amounted to just over £4.5m. 'Your victims were individuals in many instances elderly and retired people looking for a return on their modest savings. 'They were not for the most part seasoned investors and the conspiracy relied on their vulnerability. 'One hard sell came close to emotional blackmail and a recording played to the court was heart-rending. 'In my view a significant proportion of the investors can be described as vulnerable. 'There were a large number of victims that run into the hundreds. 'You Daniel Snelling instigated, designed and were the driving force behind both conspiracies. 'You brought in members of your family to help with the running of both frauds. Your sister Dina and cousin Rebecca, their current predicaments are in a large part due to you.' Snelling was also banned from being a company director for ten years and subject to a Serious Crime Prevention Order which restricts his business activities. Deceit: Photograph shows a Nouveau wine brochure which was used to persuade victims to hand over cash . Turning to McDonald, Judge Grieve added: 'The seriousness of the offence for which I have to sentence you makes an immediate custodial sentence utterly inescapable.' Daniel Snelling enjoyed an ‘extravagant’ lifestyle with the cash he raked in - spending his ill-gotten gains on flashy cars and trips to Australia, while Dina spent the money on cosmetic surgery, the court was told. Jane Osbourne, prosecuting, said: 'The victims can properly be described as vulnerable. They were individuals who were investing in some cases the entirety of their life savings.' Daniel Snelling launched the fraud in January 2007 as the sole shareholder and company director of Nouveau World Wines. With Dina as office director and McDonald, a former employee of accountancy giant KPMG, working as business development manager, they cold-called victims promising top-end wines as a better investment than stocks and shares. Daniel Snelling launched the fraud in January 2007 as the sole shareholder and company director of Nouveau World Wines . The trio pretended to have “prestige” offices in Berkeley Square, Mayfair, which was actually just a postal address for their real base in Greenwich, south-east London. Between January 2007 and August 2009, Snelling’s firm promised to make 39,000 bottles of fine wine - but in fact produced just a quarter of that sum. Facing the heat of investors who had put in £2.5million, Dempsey pulled the plug on Nouveau World Wines and ploughed much of the profit into a new venture, Finbow Wines. But again, investors never saw a return on the money put into the scam, and just two containers were actually purchased and shipped to China. Just as Snelling and his fraudster family were about to duck out again and move on to a third wine scam venture, selling Old World wines, cops swooped on March 4, 2010. In mitigation, the court heard how the victims 'should not be treated as vulnerable', as they were willing to 'take calculated risks'. Dorian Lovell-Plank, defending Daniel Snelling, said: 'This was not a case of switching on a light and becoming fraudulent overnight. Nouveau was a company that started well and ended badly.' The sentencing resumed from yesterday after the hearing was 'regrettably' cut short by Judge Grieve because Serco prison officers were showing gang members around the cells to put them off breaking the law. The family of the defendants, which packed out the seats around the dock, blasted 'you’re joking' when the Judge adjourned at 4pm - even though the case was almost over. Lies: Photograph shows the investor kit sent to the victims of the fraud . Jailed: Daniel Snelling was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years imprisonment . Behind bars: McDonald broke down in tears as she was led out of the dock by uniformed guards . Daniel Snelling, of Sutton, south London, was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to defraud and two further counts of converting criminal property. McDonald, of Bexleyheath, south-east London, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to defraud. The jury failed to reach a verdict on a second conspiracy charge, which has been left on the court file. Dina Snelling, of Chislehurst, south-east London, was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to defraud and will be sentenced on October 11. French-speaking Simon Dempsey, 43, of Sidcup, south east London, walked free after he was cleared by the jury of helping to front the Finbow Wines venture.
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