by Keith Hunt

A former business consultant jailed for a massive mortgage fraud has failed in an attempt to challenge an order to hand over more than £9.4 million.

The confiscation proceedings were taken against Jean-Pierre Bestel in his absence in July after he was sentenced to three years for fraud in March last year.

The 49-year-old, of City Way, Rochester, appeared at Maidstone Crown Court to ask Judge Charles Macdonald QC to re-try the issue of benefit.

Bestel, who said he was staying with a friend and is pictured left, told the judge he suffered from bipolar disorder, which caused "extraordinary behaviour", and that he was seeing a psychiatrist and his GP every month.

"I am still on medication every day," he said. "One of the side effects is it destroys your memory. It is something I have to deal with every day."

Asked if he deliberately failed to attend court in July, he replied: "As God is my witness, I didn’t deliberately miss the hearing."

Judge Macdonald said Bestel, formerly of Wrotham Road, Meopham, had sent in a letter containing an enormous list of assets.

"However, his asset position remains wholly unclear," said the judge. "He appears today by privately funded lawyers. He is well dressed. He has several classic cars."

Jean-Pierre Bestel appeared at Maidstone Crown Court

Judge Macdonald said he rejected Bestel's evidence he was unaware of the confiscation hearing date and found he was "voluntarily absent".

He added: "There is absolutely no reason to think if I allowed the matter to be reopened he would provide the necessary cooperation. Practically nothing has still been done."

Gerard Hillman, defending, said friends and family of Bestel had provided the funding for the hearing. He asked for Bestel's legal aid certificate to remain.

Bestel built up a portfolio of 95 properties. He applied for 31 mortgages during 2007 using forged documents and falsely claiming he was earning a six-figure salary.

He was found to have benefited by £9,427,123 and given six months to pay it or face a further 10 years in prison. It was the largest ever confiscation by Kent Police.