Domestic & General Group Limited & Ors v Premier Protect Holdings Ltd & Ors

Facts

The Claimants, Domestic & General entities, brought long-running proceedings alleging that a succession of businesses used fraudulent "association misrepresentation" telephone sales calls to sell appliance warranty products, falsely implying that callers were connected with the customer's existing provider. The Claimants' case was that the same underlying operation traded successively as Premier Protect Holdings Ltd and Home Protect 365 Ltd (controlled by Mr Akayour), then Apex Assure Ltd (controlled by Mr Ali), then UK Service Plan Ltd (controlled by Mr Dhimi). An interim injunction was obtained on 21 January 2021. Mr Akayour and Mr Ali were later debarred for disclosure failures and found in contempt by Cotter J in December 2023 for those breaches, with sentencing adjourned. The substantive liability trial was heard by Lavender J, who gave judgment for the Claimants in October 2024. Lavender J subsequently gave permission in June 2025 for further contempt applications against Mr Ali and Mr Dhimi, alleging false statements verified by statements of truth and, in Mr Ali's case, breach of the 21 January 2021 order, before recusing himself. The present applications, heard by Sweeting J between 27 April and 1 May 2026, required the allegations to be proved afresh to the criminal standard.