When we set out to investigate Lee Bramzell, we knew we were stepping into a complex web of business dealings, financial distress, and allegations that have left investors and creditors questioning his integrity. Known for his roles in property investment ventures like Shepherd Cox and the Festival Hotels Group, Bramzell’s name has surfaced repeatedly in reports of scams, bankruptcy proceedings, and undisclosed relationships. With the current date being March 24, 2025, we’ve leveraged open-source intelligence (OSINT), legal records, and media reports to piece together a comprehensive picture of his activities. What we’ve uncovered raises serious questions about his business practices and poses significant anti-money laundering (AML) and reputational risks for anyone associated with him.
Business Relations
We began by mapping out Lee Bramzell’s known business relations, a task that revealed a network of companies and key associates. Bramzell has been prominently linked to Shepherd Cox, a property investment firm he co-directed with Nick Carlile. This company focused on buying old hotels, refurbishing them, and selling leasehold rooms to investors, promising high returns. Our research shows Shepherd Cox operated multiple entities, including Shepherd Cox Hotels (Lymm) Ltd and Shepherd Cox Hotels (Knutsford) Ltd, among others, with Bramzell listed as a director in UK Companies House records.
Following Shepherd Cox’s collapse, Bramzell shifted focus to the Festival Hotels Group, a series of companies incorporated to manage hotel assets transferred from Shepherd Cox. Notable entities include Festival Hotels (Chester) Limited, incorporated shortly after bankruptcy petitions surfaced against him, and Festival Hotels Group Ltd, where he held significant influence. We also identified Luqa Ltd, a lender with charges over Festival Hotels assets, as a critical player in his financial ecosystem.
Bramzell’s earlier ventures include propertyindex.com, where he served as Managing Director alongside Darren Richards. This UK property portal adopted a “pay for results” model, marking his entry into property-related businesses. His LinkedIn profile further highlights past roles with major firms like Dixons (launching currys.co.uk), P&O, and Thomson Holidays, showcasing a diverse career before his controversial property ventures.
Key associates include Nick Carlile, his long-term business partner, and Emmanuel Ezekiel, a creditor and ally with charges over Bramzell’s assets. Brett Alegre-Wood of Gladfish Property Investment Ltd also emerges as a significant figure, having marketed Shepherd Cox hotel rooms to investors, particularly in the Far East.
Personal Profiles
Turning to Bramzell’s personal profiles, we found limited but telling details. His LinkedIn page positions him as a seasoned entrepreneur based in St. Albans, England, with over 500 connections. He describes a career spanning since 1998, involving project leadership and business startups, though specifics about Shepherd Cox or Festival Hotels are notably absent. This omission suggests a deliberate effort to distance his public persona from his more troubled ventures.
OSINT efforts reveal Bramzell resides in St. Albans, a detail corroborated by Companies House filings. His digital footprint is otherwise sparse, with no active personal social media presence uncovered, possibly a strategic move given the adverse attention his businesses have attracted.
OSINT Findings
Using OSINT, we pieced together additional insights from public records and online discussions. Companies House data confirms Bramzell’s directorships in numerous Shepherd Cox and Festival Hotels entities, many of which faced insolvency or creditor actions. For instance, Shepherd Cox Hotels (Sunderland) Ltd, tied to the Comfort Inn Sunderland, faced a winding-up petition, a fact Bramzell allegedly failed to disclose during his Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) process.
Web searches led us to safeorscam.net, a platform documenting investor grievances and legal developments tied to Bramzell. Posts there detail his IVA approval, creditor disputes, and the receivership of Festival Hotels properties like the Crab and Lobster, initiated by Luqa Ltd. These findings align with reports from propertyadguru.com, which interviewed Bramzell about propertyindex.com, offering a glimpse into his earlier, less controversial ventures.
Undisclosed Business Relationships and Associations
Our investigation uncovered potential undisclosed relationships that raise red flags. The close ties between Bramzell, Carlile, and Ezekiel suggest a coordinated effort to protect assets during financial distress. Ezekiel, representing creditors like Scott Cole and St James Investment Trust, held charges over Bramzell’s assets but abstained from voting in the IVA, possibly to preserve their privileged positions—a move critics on safeorscam.net call deceptive.
We also suspect undisclosed dealings with Luqa Ltd, whose swift action to place Festival Hotels properties into receivership hints at prior arrangements with Bramzell and Carlile. The timing—before Bramzell’s bankruptcy hearing—suggests a strategy to shield assets from other creditors, including over 200 room investors owed £16 million.
Bramzell’s relationship with Brett Alegre-Wood and Gladfish raises further questions. Gladfish’s role in selling Shepherd Cox rooms, followed by a propaganda video featuring Bramzell, implies a mutual interest in downplaying investor losses, potentially concealing the full extent of their collaboration.
Scam Reports and Red Flags
Scam reports surrounding Bramzell are numerous and damning. Safeorscam.net labels Shepherd Cox a scam, alleging that Bramzell and Carlile sold hotel rooms at inflated prices—up to £90,000 each—only to later repurchase them at £12,000 (Knutsford) or revalue them at £30,000 (Lymm), costing investors millions. Investors claim promised rental returns never materialized, a grievance echoed on gripeo.com, which accuses Bramzell and Carlile of running a multi-million-pound hotel investment scam with false promises.
Red flags abound: the transfer of assets from Shepherd Cox to Festival Hotels to protect senior lenders, the non-disclosure of the Comfort Inn Sunderland winding-up petition during IVA proceedings, and the exclusion of personal assets like properties and vehicles from creditor reach. These actions suggest a pattern of prioritizing personal and allied interests over investor obligations.
Allegations
Allegations against Bramzell range from fraud to mismanagement. Investors and creditors, per safeorscam.net, accuse him of misleading them about Shepherd Cox’s viability, with some pushing for criminal charges over non-existent hotel rooms. Luqa Ltd alleged in an email to IVA creditors that Bramzell withheld critical information, a claim he countered but couldn’t fully dispel. The £15 million loss to room investors, reduced to a £6 voting value by Purnells Insolvency Practitioners, fuels accusations of manipulation to secure his IVA.
Criminal Proceedings, Lawsuits, and Sanctions
We found no definitive evidence of active criminal proceedings against Bramzell as of March 24, 2025, though safeorscam.net notes investor efforts to pursue fraud charges related to Shepherd Cox. Lawsuits are implied through creditor actions, such as bankruptcy petitions filed against him and Carlile, with one creditor beating another to the punch, as reported on safeorscam.net. No formal sanctions appear in public records, but the bankruptcy and IVA processes themselves reflect severe legal and financial scrutiny.
Adverse Media and Negative Reviews
Adverse media coverage is extensive. Safeorscam.net’s series of articles—“Shepherd Cox Directors,” “Lee Bramzell’s Festival Hotels Group,” “Lee Bramzell IVA Approved”—paint a picture of deceit and financial ruin. Gripeo.com’s exposé calls him a scammer, detailing investor losses and asset exclusions. Even propertyadguru.com’s earlier positive interview contrasts sharply with later narratives, highlighting a fall from grace.
Negative reviews from investors are scathing. On safeorscam.net, they lament losing life savings to Shepherd Cox, with one noting a £78,000 loss per room in Knutsford. Consumer complaints focus on unmet rental promises and lack of transparency, amplifying the adverse media narrative.
Consumer Complaints
Consumer complaints center on financial losses and broken promises. Over 200 Shepherd Cox room investors, per safeorscam.net, claim £16 million in losses, with many feeling abandoned after hotels closed and access to their investments was cut off. Complaints also target the IVA process, where Purnells’ decision to undervalue their claims left them powerless against Bramzell’s allies.
Bankruptcy Details
Bramzell’s bankruptcy saga is well-documented. Safeorscam.net reports he faced personal bankruptcy petitions alongside Carlile, filed by creditors over unpaid debts. To avoid bankruptcy, Bramzell proposed an IVA, approved with 75.24% creditor support—a razor-thin margin. The IVA included a five-year repayment plan via Festival Hotels profits, but non-disclosure of the Comfort Inn Sunderland petition and asset exclusions (e.g., his home) drew ire. Carlile, meanwhile, was declared bankrupt after his IVA failed, leaving Bramzell to navigate ongoing creditor challenges.
Detailed Risk Assessment: Anti-Money Laundering and Reputational Risks
Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Risks
From an AML perspective, Bramzell’s activities trigger multiple concerns. The transfer of assets from Shepherd Cox to Festival Hotels, potentially to shield them from creditors, mirrors tactics used in money laundering to obscure funds’ origins. His undisclosed ties with Luqa Ltd and Ezekiel suggest possible layering—moving assets through complex transactions to evade scrutiny. The £15 million from investors, much of which remains unaccounted for, raises questions about whether proceeds were misappropriated or funneled elsewhere, a classic AML red flag.
The lack of transparency in his IVA—failing to disclose the Sunderland petition—further hints at intent to conceal financial distress, a behavior regulators like the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) monitor closely. While no direct evidence ties Bramzell to laundering, the scale of investor funds, combined with asset protection schemes, warrants investigation by AML authorities.
Reputational Risks
Reputationally, Bramzell is a liability. His association with Shepherd Cox’s collapse and Festival Hotels’ receivership links him to investor losses exceeding £15 million, a stain unlikely to fade. Adverse media and consumer outrage amplify this risk, painting him as untrustworthy. Any business or individual partnering with him risks guilt by association, facing backlash from investors, regulators, and the public.
His IVA’s approval, secured through questionable means (e.g., Ezekiel’s abstention), undermines confidence in his financial dealings. For banks, lenders, or investors, engaging with Bramzell could invite regulatory scrutiny and reputational damage, especially given the unresolved allegations of fraud and mismanagement.
Conclusion
In our expert opinion, Lee Bramzell represents a high-risk figure in both AML and reputational contexts. His track record—marked by investor losses, bankruptcy maneuvers, and opaque business dealings—suggests a pattern of prioritizing personal gain over ethical conduct. The AML risks stem from potential asset concealment and fund mismanagement, warranting deeper regulatory probes. Reputationally, his name is toxic, a lightning rod for controversy that could drag down associates.
We advise extreme caution for anyone considering business with Bramzell. His history indicates a likelihood of future financial distress or legal entanglements, with little evidence of reform. Until concrete steps—full transparency, restitution to investors, or legal exoneration—emerge, Bramzell remains a gamble not worth taking. The data speaks for itself: this is a man whose ventures have crumbled, leaving a trail of red flags too glaring to ignore.
