Zero-star hygiene rating uncovers chef's dark past as pub landlords left stunned

Star cook David James was unmasked arsenic a crab fraudster who conned a pistillate retired of £2,000 aft a hygiene standing by Denbighshire Council astatine The Crown pub successful September

A cook with a hidden criminal history was unmasked erstwhile hygiene inspectors gave his bosses a zero-star rating.

David James, known arsenic Dai, was cooking up a tempest astatine 400-year-old country pub The Crown aft its expansive re-opening pursuing the Covid pandemic. His originative takes connected classical dishes was proving a deed with clientele successful the Denbighshire colony of Llandegla, overmuch to the delight of owners Mel and Brian Braban.

But unbeknownst to the couple, David's existent individuality was a convicted fraudster who feigned terminal crab to swindle a disable widow retired of hundreds of pounds. Real sanction David Carroll, the 41-year-old was recovered blameworthy of fraud successful 2018, wherever Leicester magistrates court heard helium claimed to person tummy crab and conscionable months to live, conning his past mother-in-law retired of £2,000 for "treatment".

Said attraction was successful information a vacation to the USA, and Carroll was sentenced to 26 weeks successful prison, suspended for 2 years. The condemnation was brought to airy aft a disastrous inspection successful September by Denbighshire Council, Wales Online reports, successful which The Crown received the lowest standing for storing "rancid" nutrient and leaving the room successful a "filthy" state.

The Brabans, who had tally the pub for implicit 10 years, aboriginal posted connected Facebook to denote the prima cook was nary longer moving for them, claiming the inspection had recovered "a fig of important issues successful narration to the practices helium was following". David nevertheless has accused the pub's owners of "scapegoating" him with the post, claiming his fictitious unwellness had successful information been a grounds of uncommon information Munchausen syndrome.

He told WalesOnline helium had "taken forward" learnings from the inspection. "It's casual to bash that erstwhile I've got a past," helium told the outlet, claiming that astatine the clip of the fraud helium had been "severely ill" with the uncommon syndrome - a information wherever sufferers unreal to beryllium ill.

The September 2024 inspection was followed up with a 2nd successful December - aft David's departure - which resulted successful an improved rating, contempt pointing to immoderate changes inactive to beryllium implemented, specified arsenic the labelling of condiment bottles. The pub's owners accidental these person present been enactment successful place, however.

David, from the adjacent municipality of Ruthin, has said helium made the vocation alteration into catering aft his condemnation to commencement afresh, claiming to person a level 2 nutrient information certificate and 7 years' acquisition arsenic a cook astatine the clip of the inspection. "I've gone done hell," helium said, saying helium had nary work to disclose his condemnation arsenic it was spent.

"I'm inactive getting nuisance calls astir it to this day. I was ill. I made a horrible, horrible determination that caused a batch of pain, and present everyone is tarring maine with the aforesaid brush." On the zero-star rating, helium added: "I've thing to bash with it. I was disconnected enactment conscionable earlier it happened."