Daughter laundered thousands of pounds for her crooked dad during crime spree

A daughter has walked free from court after laundering £8,510 for her burglar father.

Gary Platt was a member of a gang that stole over £45,000 during a spree that targeted businesses across the UK, Liverpool Echo reported.

Using axes to smash up safes and breaking down doors, the gang caused £35,000 worth of damage. Gary, 43 was arrested and jailed for six years in February 2020.

Detectives investigated and discovered that his daughter was involved in the crime spree.

Chloe Platt, now 24 said she was “used” by her dad and now feels “gullible and angry.”

Liverpool Crown Court heard that Gary Platt was part of an audacious burglary plot that targeted pubs, restaurants, bus depots, convenience stores and social clubs from August to November 2019.

CCTV footage captured the gang’s spree at businesses in locations including Wirral, Ellesmere Port, Chester and North Wales, while they also targeted homes and stole high powered cars to use as getaway vehicles.

Simon Duncan, prosecuting, said a few days before the conspiracy began, it was thought the same gang hit a Stagecoach depot in Saighton, near Chester, on July 26.

On September 13, the gang struck at the Stagecoach depot in Saighton again, when £9,000 was stolen, and that same day, Chloe Platt deposited £2,000.

On each occasion, the money was then transferred to her dad’s account – totalling £4,870.

However, after a raid at the Blind Pig bar in Telegraph Road, Heswall, Merseyside, she deposited £3,640 on September 17, which wasn’t transferred to her father.

Chloe Platt, who had no previous convictions, gave a no comment interview to police in September 2020.

Mr Duncan highlighted the one time the money wasn’t transferred to her dad, but said he didn’t believe this would affect the outcome of the sentencing hearing, and this point wasn’t challenged.

The court heard she didn’t claim she was “coerced” by her father, but rather this pressure was because of the “dynamics” of their relationship.

Mr Duncan said there were no Proceeds of Crime Application (POCA) against Chloe Platt, adding: “Essentially the defendant is saying she didn’t benefit from what went on, she was being used by her father for the depositing of illicit funds.”

Carmel Wilde, defending, said the money laundering was now two years ago.

Ms Wilde said: “It seems as though the defendant has found herself in a very tricky position between mother and father and it’s misplaced loyalty to her father that has led her to this offence.

“It’s perhaps understandable, a young girl wouldn’t start interrogating her father who she trusted to an extent and naively didn’t question.”

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