A man who stole nearly £1m from his wife’s grandfather has had his application to appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council refused.
The High Court rejected Garry Richard Vernon’s bid, labelling the application “wholly misconceived and utterly meritorious”.
Vernon was sentenced to nine years in 2023 for stealing the life savings of retired farmer Evan Fargher between 2010 and 2013.
His application for leave to appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council was filed in September 2025, 21 months after the Isle of Man’s appellate court had upheld his sentence.
The court found the delay “inordinate” and the reasons for it “unacceptable”.
Application
On the merits, the judgment stated the application was “largely a regurgitation” of previous arguments and raised no new point of law.
The court reiterated that “sentencing policy is a matter for the Isle of Man courts.”
Three judges concluded: “This application in the first instance is out of time, and no good reason has been provided as to why it is so. Secondly, the application raises no arguable point of law of general public importance which requires determination.”
The court reserved the question of costs, noting Vernon may still seek permission directly from the Privy Council.