'Why has it taken so long to get these crooks into jail?', judge is asked in Ritz Hotel trial

Money man Marcel Boerkhoorn, who was duped out of 1 million in the alleged con, turned on the trio at the end of his evidence.

Asking the judge if he could ask him a question, the Dutch financier said: "What's the reason it takes such a long time to get all these crooks into the jail?"

The trial at Southwark Crown Court in central London fell silent until Judge Stephen Robbins, who earlier praised Mr Boerkhoorn for his command of English, told him that he "had better leave that one".

Instead, the judge told Mr Boerkhoorn, who flew in from Holland to give evidence on Monday:

"You've come on a nice day to London." But the witness went on: "For me, it's still unbelievable for what they have done. It takes such a long time."

Anthony Lee, 49, and Patrick Dolan, 68, are accused of targeting middle-man Terence Collins because of his interest in the high stakes world of trophy properties and sucking him in with false promises that the prestigious hotel in London's Piccadilly was on sale for 250 million. Solicitor Conn Farrell, 57, added credibility to the deal, the court was told.

But the trio told Mr Collins he needed to hand over a 1 million deposit so he turned to investor and entrepreneur Mr Boerkhoorn for the funds. Soon afterwards it emerged that the deal was a "complete fantasy" based on "one great big lie", the court was told.

Dolan, of Philip Lane, Tottenham, north London, Farrell, of Cambridge Road, Aldershot, Hampshire, and Lee, of Broad Lane, Beal, Goole, East Yorkshire, are on bail and all deny conspiracy to defraud between January 1, 2006 and March 30, 2007.

Earlier, the court was told Mr Collins described the 1 million payment, which Mr Boerkhoorn understood was a deposit for the Ritz, as an introductory fee for a separate deal over the Flaxby golf course near Harrogate, for "accounting reasons".

"Maybe he's just a crook like the two guys sitting there," Mr Boerkhoorn said, insisting he had never heard of the Flaxby deal.

Only Lee and Farrell were in the dock, while Dolan sat nearer to the front of the court. Lee and Dolan will say that the 1 million payment related to a separate deal over the Flaxby golf course near Harrogate, North Yorkshire, the jury of nine women and three men was told. And Farrell will say he was only acting on the instructions of his clients, Lee and Dolan.

Mr Boerkhoorn also told the jury he did not know that the three were claiming to be able to sell the Ritz to Mr Collins for 200 million before he would sell it on for 250 million. Mr Boerkhoorn, who intended to then sell it on for a third time at 258.5 million, said: "50 million for a transaction fee is ridiculous.

"If I knew people get, for such an easy job, 50 million, I should never do that."