A pub landlord who misplaced every part after he was wrongly imprisoned alongside murderers over meals security legal guidelines has advised how his ordeal noticed him obtain demise threats in jail and likewise resulted in him struggling a coronary heart assault.
Geoffrey Monks, 67, who ran The Snooty Fox in Kettering, Northamptonshire, was accused of breaking meals security legal guidelines when East Northamptonshire Council falsely claimed they discovered ‘mouldy ham’ contained in the premises within the late Nineties.
The accusations got here after native solicitor Jennifer Lawrence entered a dispute with Dr Monks over being served the ‘flawed bottle of wine’.
Ms Lawrence complained that she had suffered meals poisoning on the upmarket pub, with the ENDC launching an investigation into ‘mouldy ham’ on the Snooty Fox.
Following six alleged infractions, Dr Monks was hit with the-then largest high-quality on report for breaching meals security offences – with magistrates ordering him to pay £33,800, which was lowered to £21,800 on attraction.
The pub boss couldn’t afford to pay the charges after shedding his companies and his residence, and in 2003 was imprisoned on the most safety HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes for 4 months- together with his cell adjoining to Soham assassin Ian Huntley.
After vehemently sustaining his innocence for greater than twenty years, Dr Monks has now been awarded a seven-figure settlement — considered about £4 million — by North Northamptonshire council after launching a Excessive Court docket battle towards them in 2019.

Geoffrey Monks, 67, who ran The Snooty Fox in Kettering, Northamptonshire, has been awarded a seven-figure settlement — considered about £4 million — by North Northamptonshire council after launching a Excessive Court docket battle towards them in 2019
Dr Monks, who described how he obtained demise threats in jail after rumours started to swirl contained in the premises that he labored for MI5, mentioned his cell was subsequent to assassin Ian Huntley.
He advised The Sunday Instances: ‘I noticed him [Huntley] shuffling about … It wasn’t a pleasant time.’
On the evening of the row with Ms Lawrence he mentioned she had ordered a bottle of the German white wine Hock earlier than later telling him: ‘I ordered a high-quality Burgundy not this muck.’
He continued: ‘All of the locals warned me a few sure person who lived within the village, apparently she had had brushes with plenty of them and so they had all come off badly.’
Ms Lawrence later claimed she had been recognized with meals poisoning.
She mentioned she fell unwell after consuming pâté and ingesting wine with a male good friend at The Snooty Fox in 1998, however ‘by no means requested for East Northants Council to do something about it’.
Roger Heath, then-Chief Govt of ENDC, was invited to supervise punishment by the council’s atmosphere division and Dr Monks was convicted in 2000.
The pub landlord was ordered to pay £33,800, which was lowered to £21,800 on attraction, however as he couldn’t afford to pay the high-quality he was sentenced to 4 months on the Class A jail.
The impact of the prosecutions, and the encompassing publicity, on Dr Monks’ companies was catastrophic and he was compelled to promote all three pubs at a loss.
He additionally bought his residence and suffered a coronary heart assault whereas in jail and has skilled critical well being points ever since.
Dr Monks additionally mentioned the ordeal left his mom so distressed that she had a stroke and was unable to talk or swallow for the eight years till she ‘died abruptly’, The Sunday Instances experiences.
The publican was financially ruined by his prosecution, shedding his residence and companies, and was unable to afford authorized prices to problem the rulings till 2019.
Dr Monks sued East Northamptonshire Council, now North Northamptonshire Council after the previous went bust in 2018 for £14million after claiming lack of earnings for his three former thriving institutions.
Throughout his Excessive Court docket motion Dr Monks described native solicitor Jenny Lawrence as a ‘sexual accomplice’ of former Northamptonshire Council chief govt Roger Heath. Each Mr Heath and Ms Lawrence strongly denied these claims when chatting with MailOnline.
Mr Heath, who would depart East Northamptonshire Council in early 2000s, now works as an impartial marketing consultant and most just lately ran for political workplace as a Conservative council candidate within the Tomohun ward of Torquay.
Talking to MailOnline on Friday, Mr Heath mentioned he was contacted by the council’s solicitors in December 2020, telling them he had by no means had ‘any relationship with Ms Lawrence’, later claiming he ‘had by no means even met her.’
Talking to MailOnline on Friday, Ms Lawrence mentioned: ‘I do not know who Roger is I merely have no idea anybody at Northants Council sexually or in any other case.’
She mentioned she did fall unwell after consuming pâté and ingesting wine with a male good friend at The Snooty Fox in 1998, however ‘by no means requested for East Northants Council to do something about it’.
‘On the finish of the meal, I had hardly had something to drink from the bottle of wine that we would ordered and I mentioned that I did not assume it was the bottle we would ordered,’ she mentioned.
‘We pulled again the serviette that had been wrapped across the bottle and I believe it was a Liebfraumilch or one thing however not what we would ordered.
‘I referred to as over Monks and identified that it was the flawed bottle. There was no scene, no nastiness and he actually did not throw us out as he has alleged.
‘He says that I used to be a part of a conspiracy but it surely didn’t occur like that.
‘On the Sunday, after dinner, I had essentially the most terrible illness and diahorrea that I’ve ever had in my life.

The accusations got here after native solicitor Jennifer Lawrence complained that she had suffered meals poisoning on the upmarket pub

Former Northamptonshire chief govt Roger Heath, 74, (pictured in 2019) was invited to supervise punishment by the council’s atmosphere division

Dr Monks, who ran The Snooty Fox (pictured) in Kettering, Northamptonshire, was accused of breaking meals security legal guidelines
‘By the Wednesday I could not work it was so dangerous and the GP advised me to get a pattern to him. My son took it to the docs and that went to Kettering Common Hospital.
‘A number of days later, after I was over it, I had a letter from East Northants Council saying I had a notifiable infectious illness.
‘It was loopy and the Council needed to know what I had eaten. I went by means of what I had eaten and so they instantly went to Monks’ kitchen on the Snooty Fox and prosecuted him. They did not even ask me to attend the listening to.
‘I’m completely shattered by the suggestion I had sexual relations with somebody from the Council. It is totally absurd and this has come fully out of the blue.
‘I didn’t assume I had executed something flawed and Mr Monks was discovered to have had two additional well being and security breaches which had nothing to do with me in any respect.
‘I used to be described as being merely the butterfly who flapped her wings. If there may be any vendetta it’s a vendetta towards me by Mr Monks.’
She added: ‘The infectious illness was Campylobacter. It was like an ecoli. It could possibly solely be picked up from pet canines, chickens, soiled barbeques and pate.
‘He tried to recommend it was from my barbeque however his insurance coverage paid me out £6,000 for misplaced earnings because of what occurred.’
Dr Monks was later accused of getting mice and damaged glass in his different native venues, The Vane Arms and Samuel Pepys pubs.
However attraction judges remarked that out of greater than 7,000 meals requirements inspections by East Northamptonshire District Council over the course of a decade, simply 4 convictions had been made – three of which had been towards Dr Monks.
Environmental officers steered Dr Monks perform ‘remedial’ actions for the phantom breaches, however this was ignored and the punishment was instantly overseen by Mr Heath.
Dr Monks would later declare the native authority launched an ‘abusive marketing campaign’ towards him after profitable his appeals towards his six convictions for meals security breaches.
Talking after the trial, Paul Mitchell QC, for Dr Monks, mentioned: ‘The proof towards him on every event was skinny and contradictory.
‘He achieved the outstanding distinction of being the defendant to 3 of solely a handful of meals security prosecutions the council had undertaken between 1990 and 2001, throughout which interval it had carried out over 7,000 investigations.’
He went on: ‘If that had been proved at trial, then it would properly have been established that the abuse of course of consisted in ENC’s prosecuting Dr Monks due to an outrageous abuse of energy by its chief govt: that was the ‘vendetta’ abuse of course of, the place the true intention was to punish Dr Monks for offending the mistress, not for serving contaminated meals.’
North Northamptonshire’s taxpayers are actually set to foot the invoice for his or her native authority’s infractions within the late Nineties. The council will even provide an apology in open court docket for his or her predecessor’s actions.
Geraint Thomas, accomplice and head of the disputes group at Laytons ETL International who led Dr Monks’ declare, insisted the settlement ‘gives full vindication for our shopper greater than 20 years after East Northamptonshire Council started its abusive marketing campaign towards him.

Dr Monks misplaced possession of The Snooty Fox (pictured) and his two different pubs The Vane Arms and Samuel Pepys, in addition to his home as he confronted monetary wreck within the wake of the ‘abusive marketing campaign’ towards him, his legal professionals claimed


After shedding his companies and his residence, Dr Monks was despatched to most safety HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes (left). His cell was adjoining to Soham assassin Ian Huntley (proper), who was awaiting trial on the time
‘The affect on his well being, funds and wellbeing has been nothing in need of devastating, however I hope that at present’s settlement will allow him at the least to start to rebuild his life.
‘It’s accepted East Northamptonshire Council’s actions prompted critical private damage, loss, and harm to him over a interval of greater than 20 years, and I sincerely apologise for these actions.’
Cllr Jason Smithers, Chief of North Northamptonshire Council, mentioned: ‘East Northamptonshire Council’s choice to prosecute Dr Monks in relation to the Snooty Fox was an abuse of course of and may by no means have occurred.
‘It’s accepted that East Northamptonshire Council’s actions prompted critical private damage, loss, and harm to him over a interval of greater than 20 years, and I sincerely apologise for these actions.
‘I hope that Dr Monks is ready to have his status restored and that the substantial damages which the Council has agreed to pay to him go a way in the direction of aiding him to maneuver ahead together with his life.’
Northamptonshire Police have since confirmed they’re investigating to find out whether or not or not prison offences must also be introduced towards the council.