Shamed UK gas firm boss’s drag disguise backfires

Martyn Crute, the disgraced head of an illegitimate gas fitting and service company in the UK, made a bizarre attempt to escape media attention while leaving a London trial court on Saturday by dressing up in drag.

But his attempt to hide his identity behind a skirt, auburn wig and black high heels backfired – he was spotted by photographers within seconds, and only managed to draw more attention to himself.

As the photographers gave chase, he pulled his long wavy auburn wig across his face to hide his manly stubble and chiselled jaw. A crew from Anglia TV filmed him as he shuffled out of Lincoln Crown Court and his antics subsequently appeared all over the TV news bulletins.

The astonishing bid to keep his identity secret came as Crute, a director of UK Oil and Gas Ltd, appeared at Lincoln crown court charged with trading for 15 months without being registered with the Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI), a gas safety body. His business was said to have put lives at risk because of shoddy work.

Adam Farrer, prosecuting for the health and safety executive (HSE), said the company had used the CORGI logo on its literature and gave the impression to customers that it was operating legally. But UK Oil and Gas Ltd – which has since been wound up with debts of more than £100,000 – had withdrawn from CORGI because of a dispute.

The court heard that employees of the company, including Crute himself, carried out gas fittings and service pipe work in several domestic properties between 23 February 2008 and 19 November 2008, despite not being registered with CORGI.