Ex-restaurateur Gavin Roberts used investors cash to fund 'lavish lifestyle'

Convicted rapist Gavin Roberts, who owned Shinzo in St Aubin has been sentenced for fraud and forgery.

The 46 year old has been jailed for a further three years for deception.

In August he admitted two counts of fraud and forgery, totalling more than £700,000.

The financial crimes happened over a four year period, between 2018 and 2022.

Shinzo - a sushi and steak restaurant - opened in August 2020, and closed less than two years later, with Roberts owing tens of thousands of pounds.

A police investigation, spanning three years, found faked documents claiming to show that the business was doing well, so Roberts' victims would invest their money.

However, Roberts used this money to fund a 'lavish lifestyle', frequently travelling to London, staying in five-star hotels and dining in expensive restaurants, 'all at the financial and emotional expense of others', according to investigator Faith Shalamon from the Jersey Financial Crimes Unit.

She their investigation unearthed patterns of 'self-centred and controlling behaviour, driven by [Roberts'] own personal gain'.

Describing his spending as 'frivolous', she told Channel 103:

"Gavin Roberts used a substantial part of this money to fund his own personal lifestyle, rather than in the business."

"The victims in this case put their homes at risk by taking out loans secured on their properties."

"If they'd known the truth, they wouldn't have done this. They wouldn't have taken out loans, they wouldn't have given him all their life savings, they wouldn't have given him their pension pot."

"These poor victims have been left out of pocket to the tune of hundreds of thousands of pounds"

Faith Shalamon says this is more than just financial loss to his victims.

"They will never recover the money they've lost, and in this case, they didn't have the money to lose in the first place."

"All it's done is eroded their trust in others, really destabilised their lives, and it's had a big impact on their mental health and wellbeing.

So this isn't just about money, it goes far beyond that."

Roberts is already serving a 15 year prison sentence for rape and assault.

He was found guilty following an eight-day trial of rape, violence and two counts of sexual assault against one woman, and two counts of common assault against another woman.

Read: Gavin Roberts jailed for fifteen years for rape and assault

Police say it is possible there are more victims of Roberts' yet to come forward.

"If and when they're ready to speak about that, the States of Jersey Police are always ready to speak to these people. The door is always open."