Banned director who faked coma jailed
Banned director who faked coma jailed
Chloe Aslett - YorkshireWed, August 5, 2026 at 6:56 PM UTC
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Peter Etherington was jailed at Bradford Crown Court
A man who previously faked being in an induced coma to get out of a court date has been jailed for acting as a company director while disqualified.
Peter Etherington, of Belle Vue, Ilkley, pleaded guilty in March to continuing his role at PP Global Media Ltd between April 2019 and October 2022 despite being banned by the Insolvency Service.
At Bradford Crown Court on Wednesday, the 68-year-old was sentenced to 18 months and two weeks in prison, five months of which were from an activated suspended sentence which he had breached.
Sentencing Etherington, Judge Ahmed Nadim told him: "You made a deliberate calculated decision that the rewards of offending outweighed the risks of detection."
The judge said Etherington's actions had also revealed "a complete absence of remorse, insight or any intention to reform".
He said the purpose of disqualifying individuals as directors was to shield investors, employees and the wider economy from "predictable harm".
"By inserting yourself back into management, you exposed all those who dealt with your companies to the very risks the disqualification was designed to eliminate," Nadim said.
'Concealing true role'
Etherington missed an appearance at Bradford Magistrates' Court in January as it was claimed he was in an induced coma, but magistrates were told there was no evidence he was in hospital and had also been seen shopping in Tesco.
Nadim said the claim about the coma was not the "only untruth" in the course of the proceedings.
Etherington had previously claimed he was due to undergo surgery on the original date the hearing was listed in October 2025, although the Insolvency Service found no local hospitals had a record of him as an inpatient at that time.
Meanwhile, he missed a pre-sentence review with the Probation Service earlier this year which he had claimed was due to him not having a phone.
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In May 2022, Etherington had been convicted of an almost identical offence of continuing to act as director while disqualified between 2017 and 2019.
Nadim told Etherington: "The offending commenced immediately after a period covered by an earlier conviction and continued while you were subject to that suspended sentence."
He said Etherington had "remained the driving force" behind the business while "concealing [his] true role".
The judge said that while he recognised Etherington's age, "limited financial means", physical health difficulties and recent mental health difficulties, he said suspending the sentence for the offence would "fail to reflect its gravity".
'Utter contempt'
He disqualified Etherington from being a director for a further 10 years and handed him an immediate prison sentence totalling 18 months and two weeks.
David Snasdell, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, said the disqualification existed to "protect the public from people who have shown they cannot be trusted in business".
"It is a criminal offence to ignore the bans and Peter Etherington is a persistent offender," he said.
"Etherington treated the disqualifications with utter contempt, hiding behind others while he continued to pull the strings.
"He ran the same business through one phoenix company after another, committing serious misconduct in the process."
Snasdell said the service would "seek the strongest possible sanctions" against directors who chose to ignore the law.
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'Induced coma' businessman admits breaching order
Accused missed probation meeting as 'has no phone'
Defendant said to be in coma 'seen in Tesco'
Related internet links
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HM Courts & Tribunals Service
Source: “AOL Money”
