Art dealer David Carter admits selling fake famous Cornwall paintings

Carol Gasser said she was "bitterly disappointed" when she realised "Boats leaving Newlyn harbour" was a fake

An art dealer has admitted intentionally selling fakes of paintings by a famous Cornish artist for tens of thousands of pounds.

David Carter, 58, of Prospect Close, Hayle, pleaded guilty to seven counts of fraud at Truro Crown Court.

He dishonestly claimed the works, which sold for up to £50,000, had been created by celebrated painters such as Alfred Wallis.

An investigation was launched after a complaint to trading standards.

"The fishing fleet, St Ives" was valued at £4,950

Carter bought the works from websites called "any old tat" and "credit crunch my ass" for hundreds of pounds between 2009 and 2011, the court was told.

Alex Greenwood, prosecuting, said: "Nothing compatible with acceptable provenance was obtained by the defendant, he knew that. The paintings were bought for a fraction of the sale price.

"The valuing of those works are multiples of their true value, which he knew. It was dishonest, false and misleading."

Carter ran Hayle Art Gallery in Cornwall and claimed to have "expertise in the field in particular Cornish artists"

An investigation by Cornwall Trading Standards found Carter bought six paintings advertised as by artist Alfred Wallis from the websites.

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