Latest news with #SarahDougan
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
New blow for disgraced real estate agent who fled Australia after $500,000 fraud
A former real estate agent director who misused half a million dollars of her company's money has been refused lost her appeal to appear before court remotely. Australian born Sarah Dougan, who lives in the US, pleaded guilty in 2020 and 2021 to fraudulent offences carried out while working as a director for Belle Property Byron Bay in far northern NSW. But last week, the NSW Supreme Court refused her appeal to appear for sentencing via an audio visual link, requiring her to return to Australia to attend in person. It follows a failure to appear in Parramatta Court in November 2023. The case followed NSW Fair Trading investigation in 2011 into the agency over complaints the business failed to 'account at settlement' when transferring ownership of a property. The court heard that Dougan provided investigators with false NAB statements for two trust accounts. They then discovered in June that year that $534,320.99 was missing from the trusts. NSW Fair Trading launched legal proceedings in 2013 over the offences, a year after Ms Dougan moved to the US. The court also heard that the former real estate agent was only made aware of the charges against her 'some time after May 2017' while applying for permanent residency. Since moving to the US, Dougan has rebuilt a new life as a chief executive of a medical testing lab, got married, raised five children, and now lives in a multimillion-dollar mansion. 'No one knew there was a warrant to issue,' Dougan's lawyer Omar Juweinat told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday. At Paramatta Local Court in 2020 and 2021, Dougan pleaded guilty to offences which included the misappropriation of client funds and the creation of false documents to conceal that misappropriation. The court also heard that she paid at least $373,917 to the Property Services Compensation Fund in 2020. But the former real estate agent did not appear for sentencing in 2023 and a magistrate refused to sentence her by audio visual link. Dougan launched a leave to appeal at NSW Supreme Court, requesting the decision stopping her from appearing remotely to be overturned The request was refused last week and she was ordered to pay court costs. The consumer watchdog is determined to bring Dougan to justice. 'It is entirely appropriate the sentencing for those offences occurs in NSW in person,' NSW Fair Trading Commissioner Natasha Mann told Daily Mail Australia. 'NSW Fair Trading has patiently waited to bring this matter to a conclusion. 'Our persistence sends a clear message to real estate agents of how seriously the regulator takes cases where there has been a complete disregard for industry rules.' Dougan's appeal to have a previous warrant issued for her arrest quashed was successful after the Supreme Court ruled that it had been made by mistake. She was not formally convicted in 2023 and, as such, the recorded warrant in the JusticeLink was 'entered erroneously', the court judgement read. 'Dougan's appeal was partly successful,' Mr Juweinat said, referencing the ruling on the mistaken warrant. 'But unfortunately the parties are now asking the High Court to determine a question of law as to whether a defendant is an absent defendant if they are appearing in court remotely.' Daily Mail Australia understands that the case to the High Court is in the process of being filed.
Scotsman
16-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Award-winning Scottish drinks firm puts brand up for sale
'We have worked with care and conviction to build a brand that reflects Scottish heritage, quality and a strong commitment to sustainability that extends beyond the bottle' – Sarah Dougan Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... An awarding-winning Glasgow drinks venture has put its brand and and associated assets up for sale. Slange Var is said to have a 'robust intellectual property portfolio', including internationally registered trademarks for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and food products. Bosses are also considering limited brand licensing opportunities, including product-specific collaborations. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The firm - whose name derives from the phonetic rendering of the Scottish Gaelic for 'cheers to your health' - was recently listed in the Metis IP100, an international index that ranks intellectual property-rich companies, based on the quality and commercial potential of their IP portfolios. The Slange Var drinks venture was founded around a decade ago. The company has not placed a minimum value on the proposed sale, which includes internationally registered trademarks, recipes, domain names and associated digital assets. Founder Sarah Dougan believes it is a lucrative brand for an international drinks' producer, particularly one selling into markets with a large Scottish diaspora, such as North America, Australia and New Zealand. 'Slange Var is a brand with incredible potential, just waiting for the right partner to take it to the next level,' she said. 'We have worked with care and conviction to build a brand that reflects Scottish heritage, quality and a strong commitment to sustainability that extends beyond the bottle.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad James Espey, a shareholder in Slange Var, said: 'No longer is a brand name simply a catchy title; it's a digital asset with tangible, and often hefty, price tags attached. Before the internet, building a brand was a laborious process, often confined to geographical boundaries. 'Today, the digital landscape offers instant global reach, enabling brands to connect with millions, cultivate communities, and foster loyalty with unprecedented speed and efficiency.' Espey, who has helped to develop some of the world's most successful drinks brands, including Baileys Irish Cream and Chivas Regal 18 Year Old, added: 'A memorable, relevant domain name is the digital equivalent of prime real estate property. It acts as a direct conduit to a brand's online presence, influencing SEO [search engine optimisation] rankings, user experience, and brand recall.' Slange Var was founded around a decade ago by Dougan, an entrepreneur and former lecturer in business, and her husband Charles. Dissatisfied with existing low and zero-alcohol options, they crafted their own blend of lime, ginger, honey, cider vinegar and water. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The drink was entered at the SIP competition in California where some 300 judges awarded the top prize of the Consumers' Choice Award. Amid global economic headwinds, following Brexit, the pandemic and the energy crisis prompted by the conflict in Ukraine, the founders took a strategic decision to pause production and focus on strengthening the company's global IP portfolio and brand equity. This has involved securing registrations in key markets like the UK, EU, US, Australia and Japan, with pending applications in Canada and India.
