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Developer jailed and business put into administration

5 Sep 19 A cocaine-snorting London property developer has had his business interests put into administration after being jailed.

Martin Skinner
Martin Skinner

Martin Skinner, 40, the owner of Inspired Asset Management Ltd and Inspired Developments (London) Plc, crashed his Porsche into a tree on the A281 Guildford Road, Rudgwick on the evening of 24th August 2018. Police report that the impact was so great that the entire engine was ejected from the vehicle. His 30-year-old female passenger sustained serious injuries, including brain injuries. She was flown to hospital and kept in an induced coma for more than a week.

Skinner tested positive for cocaine when police conducted roadside tests before he was taken to hospital, where he refused to provide a further sample for evidential purposes.

He initial pleaded not guilty to charges of careless driving and failing to provide a specimen but then changed his mind. However, despite driving to the court hearing in a McLaren sports car he got there two hours late and the case started without him.

Investigating officer Tony Crisp, of the Sussex Police Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “While Skinner did not set out to cause an accident that day, he had clearly set out to drive around the countryside in a high powered car, at high speed, and under the influence of cocaine, resulting in a crash that caused the victim in this case to sustain a life-changing injury.

“He sought to prevent the police from taking a blood sample to establish how much cocaine he had in his system and until the very last moment refused to accept responsibility for his actions.”

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Police photo of Skinner's wrecked car
Police photo of Skinner's wrecked car

Skinner was sentenced to 22 months’ imprisonment and disqualified from driving until May 2022.

Two partners from accountancy firm MHA MacIntyre Hudson were appointed by court order as joint administrators of Inspired Asset Management Limited and Inspired Developments (London) Plc.

Inspired are specialist property investors, developers and asset managers, who focus on developing and refurbishing residential housing in emerging locations across inner, greater and commuter London.

MHA partners Mick Sanders and Georgina Eason will lead the administration process, starting with a review of the two companies’ potential assets of £100m.

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MPU
MPU

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