Alan Sugar thanks Essex Police for clawing back £173,000 from burglar and his family

The Apprentice host was one of several victims of serial burglar David Buisson, who was jailed for eight years in 2018 after admitting a near £1m spree of break-ins. He pleaded guilty to 11 counts of burglary and two counts of attempted burglary, having targeted homes and businesses across Essex and Canvey Island between 2015 and 2017.

He was detained under a European Arrest Warrant in Spain in April 2018 after fleeing to Fuengirola. After he was imprisoned, Buisson was ordered to pay compensation to eight of his victims, including more than £173,000 to Lord Sugar.

With him out of the way, Essex Police’s attention turned to his daughters Tailah Morris-Buisson, 30 and Bella Morris-Buisson, 26, as a money-laundering investigation was launched. And now they have been ordered to repay almost £100,000.

Enquiries by Essex Police’s Economic Crime Unit revealed that the daughters’ lifestyle had been heavily funded by David Buisson’s criminality, with thousands of pounds deposited into their accounts over the three-year period of his offending.

Analysis of messages on Tailah Morris- Buisson’s phone showed texts where she told friends she was in Hatton Garden selling jewellery and saying how David Buisson supported her financially. The investigation team also found messages between David Buisson and Tailah Morris- Buisson while he was on the run from police.

One of the messages was from Tailah Morris-Buisson who was in a bank and texted her dad to say: “Don’t want to look fishy, the lady in the bank was asking me questions and made me paranoid.”

It was then alleged that Tailah and Bella Morris-Buisson had set up an electric motorcycle company in Abridge in an attempt to disguise their dad’s criminal assets whilst he was evading police.

The two sisters were arrested in October 2017 and refused to answer questions around money sent to them by their father.

Tailah Morris-Buisson, 30 of Malkin Drive, Church Langley and Bella Morris-Buisson, 26 of Brook Road, Epping were charged with acquiring criminal property and two counts of concealing or disguising criminal property. The sisters were convicted in October 2023. Tailah Morris-Buisson received a 24-month suspended sentence and Bella Morris-Buisson received a 20-month suspended sentence. They were both ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work.

At a Proceeds of Crime hearing on 29 May at Chelmsford Crown Court, a confiscation order was secured against Tailah Morris-Buisson, who was ordered to pay £94,465.05 in compensation to the eight victims of David Buisson’s crimes. She was given three months to pay it back.

On Wednesday, 3 July, the hearing for Bella Morrison-Buisson took place at Chelmsford Crown Court. A confiscation order for £975 was authorised and she was given three months to pay it.

Lord Sugar has praised the investigation saying: “I am very impressed by the way this investigation has been handled and I would like to thank Essex Police for their persistence in confiscating the money David Buisson made by targeting people’s homes. I hope that this result acts as a deterrent to others who think it’s acceptable to make money from criminal activity.”

Financial Investigator Marie Hall from Essex Police’s Economic Crime Unit said: “Both sisters had benefited financially from their father’s criminality. Tailah owned a property which had been transferred to her by David Buisson before the offences but could still be confiscated to repay the victims.  

“With Proceeds of Crime investigations, we will often review the finances of friends, family and associates to ensure that they have not received stolen money to spend themselves or just look after. Justice does not stop at the point of a conviction and the work that the Economic Crime Unit put into confiscation orders is to ensure that no-one in Essex can make a career out of crime.”