The date has been set for former BHS owner Dominic Chappell’s appeal against his conviction for failing to hand over information to The Pensions Regulator.

The hearing will take place on Friday 4 May at Lewes Crown Court, which sits at three venues including Lewes, Brighton and Hove, but it is not yet confirmed which venue it will take place at.

Chappell was sentenced to pay £87,170 last month for breaching Section 72 notices under the 2004 Pensions Act, after he was found guilty in January. District Judge Gary Lucie ordered Chappell to pay a £50,000 fine, £37,000 costs and a £170 victim surcharge.

At the time, Judge Lucie said: “The court must send a message to those in senior positions that refusal to answer questions under Section 72 will not be tolerated. The law is there for a purpose and it must be enforced. There is a complete lack of remorse on Mr Chappell’s part.”

Commenting, TPR executive director of frontline regulation Nicola Parish said: “We prosecuted Dominic Chappell because despite numerous requests he failed to provide us with information we required in connection with our investigation into the sale and ultimate collapse of BHS.

“Choosing not to comply with our Section 72 notices has now left him with a criminal record and a bill for more than £87,000, both of which he could have avoided if he had simply done what was required of him. Information notices are a vital investigative tool for us. Ignoring them is a crime that can lead to prosecution.”

Chappell, who purchased BHS from Arcadia boss Phillip Green for £1 in 2015, was found guilty of three charges of “neglecting and refusing to provide information and documents without reasonable excuse”, at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on 11 January 2018. Chappell pleaded not guilty to the charges.

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