FINANCIAL FRAUDSTER NEWS INVESTIGATIONS EXCLUSIVE: UK Court Accused of Collusion with 'Magic Circle' Law Firm to Defraud £1.4 Billion American Investor in 'sham' hearing
By David H., Retired Barrister, FFN Contributor & Journalist
The Ambush is Complete: UK Judge HHJ Nicholas Parfitt [Pictured below] "Rubber-Stamps" Alleged Fraud, Relies on "Secret Evidence" to Seize US Asset
LONDON, UK – This publication has been warning of a "procedural ambush" in the UK courts. Yesterday, that ambush was sprung in a shocking hearing that represents a catastrophic failure of British justice.
On 12 November 2025, His Honour Judge Nicholas Parfitt, in a hearing that the American claimants were procedurally blocked from attending, "rubber-stamped" an application by defence giant General Dynamics UK (GDUK).
The judge struck out the US-based Capitana Seas 2008 Trust's entire claim and set aside its valid, court-sealed orders as "nullities" —effectively seizing their £10 million+ asset.
Financial Fraudster News Investigations has been shown the case file. The ruling was achieved by GDUK's "Magic Circle" lawyers, Freshfields LLP, using tactics that have all the hallmarks of a pre-ordained "show trial." The judge's own order confirms he relied on "secret evidence" —a last-minute letter unseen by the victims—to justify his decision.
How the "Procedural Ambush" Was Won
This was not a hearing; it was a legal execution. The American claimants were never given a chance to fight.
The 48-Hour Trap: The hearing was set by HHJ Bloom on 10 November for 12 November. This gave the US-based, unrepresented parties less than 48 hours to instruct UK counsel and prepare for a complex 3-hour hearing. This was a "procedural impossibility."
The Request to Vacate is DENIED: Both the US Claimant and the Defendant's agent (Paine Crow and Partners) filed written submissions and letters with the court, begging for an adjournment and explaining they were being denied justice. HHJ Parfitt's order confirms he "considered" these pleas. He then flatly dismissed them (Order #2).
The Hearing in Absentia: HHJ Parfitt then proceeded with the 3-hour hearing with only one party present: GDUK. The victims were, as the order states, not in "appearance".
The "Secret Evidence" That Killed the Case
HHJ Parfitt's order reveals the "smoking gun" that GDUK deployed in the empty courtroom. The judge's decision hinges on a new, devastating piece of evidence that the absent parties had no chance to rebut:
And on considering correspondence from **solicitors for the State of Libya dated 12 November 2025** stating that the State of Libya is **not a participant** in these proceedings and has had **no involvement** in the same
This "secret evidence"—a letter from Squire Patton Boggs (SPB), the other lawyers for a faction of the Libyan state —was used to "prove" that Paine Crow & Partners (PCP) had no authority to settle the claim.
This single, unseen letter was apparently all the judge needed to invalidate a decade of court records, including:
The notarized 2010 Limited Power of Attorney from the State of Libya to PCP .
The 2016 DDJ Emerson Order which explicitly confirmed the court was "satisfied that no evidence exists of any revocation of the Power of Attorney".
This is not justice. It is a "star chamber" ruling. The judge accepted a last-minute, self-serving letter from GDUK's allies over a mountain of verified evidence he had in the bundle but chose to ignore.
A Judgment "Rubber-Stamping" Material Falsehoods
Having blocked the victim from attending and accepting "secret evidence," HHJ Parfitt then adopted every one of Freshfields' "material falsehoods" as fact, despite the written evidence to the contrary.
THE FALSEHOOD: The judge ruled the claim was "made without jurisdiction" because it was about a £6M+ property, outside the County Court's £350k limit .
THE TRUTH: The judge had the Claim Form (Tab 19) in his bundle. It clearly shows the claim was for £3,000.00. This finding is not an error; it is a perverse and knowing misrepresentation of the case file.
THE FALSEHOOD: The judge ruled the claim was an "abuse of process" , accepting Freshfields' narrative that it was filed by Mr. Lionel Godfrey-Collins (LGC) [not his real name] in breach of a Civil Proceedings Order .
THE TRUTH: The judge had LGC's sworn witness statement (Tab 18). It provided a verifiable, factual alibi: LGC was in prison from 2013 to March 2025 . The claim was filed in December 2023 and signed by a US lawyer, "X Davidson". The judge's decision to reject this sworn, factual alibi as "incredible"—without ever hearing from the witness—is shocking.
THE FALSEHOOD: The judge ruled the 2024/2025 Consent Orders were a "collateral attack" on the 2012 Popplewell judgment .
THE TRUTH: The judge ignored the "smoking gun" CHAPS transfer slip (Tab 14) . This was the new evidence proving the 2012 judgment was a fraud. The 2024 orders were not an "attack" on the 2012 judgment; they were the lawful remedy for it, based on a formal admission by SOL's agent.
This was a total judicial capitulation. The judge "considered" the evidence by ignoring every part of it that contradicted the Freshfields narrative.
He then punished the victim, ordering the absent US Claimant to pay GDUK's costs on a punitive indemnity basis.
This case is a travesty. It sends a chilling message to international investors: your assets are not safe in the UK. A "Magic Circle" law firm can engineer a "procedural ambush," block you from attending court, and have a judge rubber-stamp a judgment based on secret evidence to take your property.
For further inquiries, contact:
Financial Fraudster News Investigations
Now on X: @FraudsterNews, @therealfinancialfraudsternews or @the_real_FFN
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