An estate agent who stole a deposit he dishonestly demanded from a client to list his property for sale and later threatened his boss has avoided being sent to prison.
Danny Wood, a now former branch manager at Cooper Adams in Brighton, demanded £750 from vendor Michael Dove when he put his house up for sale.
Weeks later, when no offers had been made, Dove requested that the property be taken off the market and get his money back. However, he was informed that Wood had left the company and currently in Australia, with no record of a deposit ever being taken.
On his return Wood, of Mill Street, Falmer, was charged with fraud and sending a threat, which he admitted at his first court hearing in March.
On Friday, Brighton Magistrates Court was told that the house keys had also disappeared, and what Dove thought were frequent viewings in the autumn of 2023 had not actually taken place.
Wood’s boss, managing director of Cooper Adams, Shaun Adams, paid Dove back – and was himself subjected to abuse from Wood, who said he was owed money by the estate agency.
Prosecuting, Benjamin Parkinson said: “Mr Adams emailed Wood several times. One email Wood sent back was deemed threatening.
“It said, ‘Shaun, you are lucky I’m here and not there because I would be down there putting your head through a wall.’
“He claimed Mr Adams had caused irreversible damage to his career and he had papers ready to sue him.”
Wood returned from Australia and was arrested in Peacehaven in March 2024, under the name Danny Callaghan.
Adams, who recently launched a petition against what he sees as Rightmove’s high listing fees, told EYE that his firm hired Wood as a branch manager after carrying out the usual pre-employment checks, but it later became apparent that he was struggling with financial issues.
“We offered help where we could,” said Adams. “Unbeknown to me, he asked a vulnerable client for a refundable cash deposit to “hold” a property — something that was completely against our policies and without my knowledge or consent. He left the business before disciplinary action could be completed, having already been caught lying in other matters.”
Adams continued: “I reported the fraud to the police. He later threatened me with violence and failed to attend his initial court hearing, resulting in an arrest warrant being issued. Ultimately, he pleaded guilty.
“I’m grateful to those who supported me through what has been a very difficult and drawn-out process.
“This case is a stark reminder of the importance of proper due diligence and the need to act when something feels wrong. Transparency and accountability are essential in any profession.”
The court read a victim impact statement from Dove, who said: “When I attended the office and found that my house keys were missing and it also seemed that Danny Wood had been visiting my house despite no viewings being booked, I became really concerned.
“I had the locks changed, which Shaun Adams paid for.
“My wife became worried about staying in the house alone since we knew the keys were missing. A year on and I’m still uneasy about the whole event. It’s left me and my wife feeling vulnerable.”
He added that he and his wife had intended to use the proceeds of the house sale to spend more time with their family.
Defending, Teresa Mulrooney said: “When he left the company, before any of this happened, he was owed wages which is part of a completely separate ongoing dispute.
“It was all at a time in the context of a very horrible marital breakdown. Not only did he lose his wife, but for a time he wasn’t able to see his daughter.
“He has now recovered his mental health and he has contact with his daughter.
“He’s very sorry about what happened. He felt his employer should pay the money back because his employed owed him.”
The court heard that Wood has one previous conviction for dishonesty, when he carried out someone else’s community service.
On Friday, chair of the bench Harry Callaghan gave Wood a 12 month community order, with the requirement he carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
He was also fined £346 and ordered to pay a court surcharge of £114, court costs of £85 and compensation to Adams of £750.
