Lord Alan Sugar has thanked Essex Police for an “impressive investigation” which has led to the daughters of a serial burglar - who stole from The Apprentice star - being ordered to pay £100,000.
A money laundering investigation into Tailah Morris-Buisson, 30 and Bella Morris-Buisson, 26, was launched following the conviction of their father David Buisson in 2018.
He was jailed for eight years after pleading guilty to 11 counts of burglary dwelling and two counts of attempted burglary. Buisson targeted houses and businesses across Epping Forest and Canvey Island.
Following his conviction and sentence, Buisson was ordered to pay compensation to eight of his victims, including more than £173,000 to The Apprentice’s Lord Alan Sugar, whose property had been targeted.
During the investigation into Buisson, attention was turned to his daughters.
Enquiries by Essex Police’s Economic Crime Unit revealed that their 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 text 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 while 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 of Church Langley and Bella Morris-Buisson, from 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 May 29 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 a further hearing for Bella Morrison-Buisson took place at the same court. A confiscation order for £975 was authorised and she was given three months to pay it.
Lord Alan Sugar said after the investigation: “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, who led the case, 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 spent 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.”
