Resident expert - Sandy Danbury BA(Hons)
With experience of over seventy fraud investigations and over thirty trials, Sandy embodies a wealth of knowledge and an invaluable back-catalogue of successful graphic solutions to feed the creation of the right graphics package for your investigation and/or litigation.
Key skills
Financial markets and fraud
Sandy has extensive knowledge and experience of the dynamic array of complex methods used to commit fraud as well as a sufficient understanding of financial markets and accountancy practices.
Continuity, accuracy and evidence testing
Sandy creates a bridge between the case team and the judge and jury, identifying key messages to be conveyed, highlighting necessary detail. She extracts the minimum information from raw data, identifying verbose components that can be discarded without compromising accuracy or giving misleading impressions. She recognises when data mapping is ineffective, providing alternative solutions whilst maintaining the continuity of the evidence.
Psychology of learning
Sandy also has an interest and understanding of the basic principles of learning theories and modalities. Her graphics demonstrate an appreciation of how the brain responds to the use of colour and how the use of concepts and spatial layout assists with information being retained in the long term memory.
You were assiduous and meticulous in your assessment of the detail which meant that we could exclude some unnecessary information in the diagrams. Junior Counsel
Graphics help reduce trial time by one third
Work history - law enforcement agencies
Financial investigator – Mutual Legal Assistance
Eighteen years experience in the white-collar crime arena began at the Serious Fraud Office (SFO). Working as a Financial Investigator in the specialist Mutual Legal Assistance Unit (MLA), Sandy started creating graphics to aid her understanding of the complex elements of overseas fraud investigations, their complexity often exacerbated by language barriers.
Court graphics – fraud specialism
She later spent seven years cutting her ‘graphics’ teeth as part of the SFO’s highly respected Graphics & EPE Unit. In addition to SFO cases she also worked on numerous trials for external agencies including the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the then Financial Services Authority (FSA), City of London Police and Bedfordshire Police. She also provided graphic assistance to the London Fire Brigade, creating visuals for their in-house training around operating procedures for dealing with incidents in tunnels.
Sandy moved to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in 2014 where for three years she provided graphic support to the FCA’s enforcement division, working on over twenty investigations (eleven investigations, nine trials, two tribunals and one confiscation), including LIBOR and FX. She was also engaged by the Joint Financial Investigation Centre (JFAC) to create an appropriate logo for the newly formed intelligence team.
You were assiduous and meticulous in your assessment of the detail which meant that we could exclude some unnecessary information in the diagrams. Junior Counsel
The more facts you provide, the less facts they remember
What you produced was perfect, without me asking, you included a guide within the document to the photos in it and incorporated photos from the applicant’s wife’s public Facebook feed which also appeared to undermine any psychological argument. Advanced Associate Lawyer
Types of investigations & trials worked include
- Conspiracy to defraud
- Money laundering
- Insider dealing
- Corruption
- False accounting
- Market manipulation
- Tendering & ticket scams
- Obtaining money by pecuniary advantage
- Boiler rooms/share ramping/pump & dump
- Land-banking, ponzi & collective investment schemes
Example: Key graphics
Example: Key graphics
Previous trials
SFO and City of London Police, New Zealand’s AG’s Office, Hong Kong Police, the US SEC and FINRA
Two of three found guilty.
Madrid based sales teams sold shares in US-listed companies on a fraudulent basis
70 graphics inc. organisation charts, animated sales processes, international money movements and timelines.
SFO & FCA
SFO – Graphics used in the SFO’s process of identifying which suspects were to be prosecuted.
FCA – Graphics were also created to aid decision making by the FCA’s Regulatory Decisions Committee.
SFO & City of London Police.
All convicted of conspiracy to defraud.
Seven Defendants formed the senior management and operations team for three Madrid boiler rooms and conspired with Revell-Reade and May.
70 graphics inc. organisation charts, animated sales processes, international money movements and timelines.
SFO & City of London Police.
All found guilty.
Conspiracy to take bribes in exchange for insider information about oil and gas engineering contracts in Iran, Egypt, Russia, Singapore & Abu Dhabi (between 2001-9).
17 graphics inc. multiple tendering processes, corresponding money movements, mobile phone and email log-in timelines.
SFO
5 found guilty and 1 guilty plea
Gresham Ltd, a ‘sham business’, extracted advance fee payments and/or due diligence fees totalling more than £4m
No record
SFO
All found guilty on various counts.
A UN-commissioned inquiry found that 2,200 companies, in 66 countries, breached the oil-for-food programme rules by paying £903million in bribes to Iraqi officials and foreign politicians.
No record
Bedfordshire Police
Graphics used in the successful identifcation and charging of 29 young men.
Est. 40+ graphics taken almost wholly from CCTV footage, identifying individuals by location, time, clothing & missiles thrown.
SFO & Cheshire, Greater Manchester and City of London Police.
Bridging loan scam, 2 of 3 found guilty.
From 2000-6 W Luqman (Lexi Holdings) conspired with other family members, to defraud creditors of the company, including Barclays Bank plc, the main lender.
82 graphics inc. numerous, animated timeline and process combinations and multiple money movements.
SFO & Lincolnshire Police’s Financial Intelligence Unit.
All found guilty of conspiracy to defraud.
ICG, which had subsidiaries in a dozen countries, was involved in running investment schemes that were sold to investors worldwide.
No record
FSA
Calvert found guilty on 5 counts of insider dealing.
Over three years, Calvert used confidential information to buy shares ahead of a trio of takeover deals. As well as the seniority of Calvert, the case was also significant because the FSA used the evidence of an informant, the co-conspirator, Hatcher.
27 graphics
FSA
Both found guilty.
McQuoid, general counsel at TTP, was told in confidence that about a Motorola takeover. Two days before the takeover was made public, his father-in-law bought TTP shares resulting in a profit. This was the first insider dealing criminal prosecution brought by the FSA.
4 graphics
SFO & Leicestershire Constabulary’s Economic Crime Unit.
Both found guilty of conspiracy to defraud & conspiracy to corrupt.
Gangar and White promoted a $200m, high yield investment scheme, a ‘Ponzi’ scheme and investors’ funds were transferred to off-shore accounts.
48 graphics over two cases – pleaded on one trial
FCA
Insider dealing.
Defendant pleaded the day the Defence comments on graphics were due.
34 graphics inc. internal and compliance processes, seating plans, phone calls and animated timelines correlating internal activity and defendants trading
FCA
All eight found guilty.
Defendants carried out a land-banking scheme, duping investors to buy worthless land using aggressive cold-calling techniques.
55 graphics per trial inc. animated maps of land plots, promotional material, timelines of cold-calling vulnerable investors, money movements & lifestyle.
FCA
Insider dealing. Mixed verdict.
140+ graphics inc. defendant profiles, correspondence, surveillance images and audio, trading stat and benefits.
SFO
Guilty plea.
Insider dealing re Ocado-Morrisons merger.
1 timeline illustrating company events/price sensitive knowledge, correlated to the insiders trading.
SFO
All found guilty & 1 plea.
Ticketing scam
28 graphics including a simplified timeline illustrating real time correspondence to investors in comparison to backdated letters.
SFO & Merseyside Police
Peter Bradley’s firm Alta Gas went into receivership after a £45.5m black hole was found in its accounts.
