Mr Ackerman is accused of selling hampers to West Ham players and staff that never arrived under the alias Mark Kingston. The jury has been discharged with a new trial set to start on 24 October at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
A group of 13 people, including the club’s former manager Sam Allardyce, James Tomkins, Joey O’Brien and Andy Carroll
Prosecutor Richard Milne said under the pseudonym “Mark Kingston”, Mr Ackerman allegedly set up a stall with the hampers containing Belgian chocolates, Yorkshire crisps and champagne, heavily discounted at £60. He then used the details of five people who paid for the hampers and cases of champagne by card to further defraud them, taking more than £50,000, the court heard.
Andy Carroll is alleged to have lost a further £10,500 from his account, while Sam Allardyce was defrauded £13,000, according to the charge. Defender James Tomkins lost £30,000 while sums of £750 and £480 were taken using bank card details of Joey O’Brien and head of medical and sports science Stijn Vandenbroucke, the charges allege. Former West Ham players including Kevin Nolan and Sam Allardyce gave evidence during the trial.
West Ham’s former captain Nolan acted as an inadvertent “middleman” the court heard. Kevin Nolan told the jury he had passed the details of a hamper salesman named “Mark Kingston” to club officials. Nolan told Snaresbrook Crown Court he was the given the details of “a fella called Mark” by nightclub manager Scott Cummings. The 34-year-old said he passed the details to player liaison officer Tim De’Ath telling him: “Mark sold luxury hampers and he would like to come into the training ground.”
