Something went wrong, please try again later. [3] In 2002, he was sentenced to 10 years for the manslaughter of a business rival; the verdict was overturned on appeal and he was subsequently released, but in 2005 he was ordered to pay the victim's family 6million in a civil case. It was once said to be the most expensive private house built in Britain for a century and it is bigger than Buckingham Palace. It is also mostly abandoned and to put the icing on the cake - possibly haunted. With the profits he made from his Bahama property deals, he moved on to the British housing market, buying six properties in Notting Hill, London, before moving on to Brighton. Their relationship went well until the housing-price bubble burst in 1989. [3], Construction of the mansion began in 1985 and had cost around 40million by 2006. And I've had properties registered in that name."[16]. Scroll below and check our most recent updates about Nicholas van Hoogstraten's Estimated Net Worth, Age, Biography, Career, Height, Weight, Family, Wiki. It couldn't be simpler and it takes seconds - simply press here, enter your email address and follow the instructions. Better to laugh at its absurdity than take it seriously as yet another object of hate and rage in a world that needs more kindness. The businessman - formerly Nicholas van Hoogstraten - admitted using the word "poofter . Nicholas von Hoogstraten is well known in Brighton as a notorious slum landlord who started to build his property empire around Sussex in the 1960s. It is a singularly macabre structure, with a golden domed mausoleum for Van Hoogstraten at its centre. Nicholas van Hoogstraten leaves the Old Bailey in London, where he he heard will face trial for the murder of 62-year-old Mohammed Sabir Raja, a retired businessman. Hoogstraten could then fill in the name of any of Raja's properties on these forms and thereby transfer ownership to himself, which he promised to do if Raja defaulted on his loans (this was not the first time Raja had done this with Hoogstraten). We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. He is reported to have owned thousands of properties, the bulk of which were in Sussex, but his most well-known and ostentatious display of wealth is the gigantic Hamilton Palace, a mansion in Uckfield, East Sussex which is the biggest house built in Britain for a century but looks unlikely to ever be completed you can read more about it here and see the most expensive houses currently for sale in Sussex here. Fan page dedicated to Nicholas van Hoogstraten- Sussex multi-millionaire whose property and business exploits have earned him a notorious,. They took van Hoogstraten to court in 1999 to recoup their 200,000 legal costs,[17] a case which they also eventually won. By the age of 22, adding the "van" to his name at this stage,[8] he owned 350 properties in Sussex[10] and was reputedly Britain's youngest millionaire, although The Times in 1967 and 1972 referred to this status as being "self-styled".[11][12]. "I'm going to assume [God] is going to say to me, 'What are you doing here? Nicholas Van Hoogstraten has made headlines in newspapers and on television for decades, ever since he became a millionaire at the age of 22 and continued to defend his business empire with terrifying ruthlessness, Sign up to our newsletter to get the latest Sussex news straight to your inbox every day as well as all the latest breaking news. [3] At 15, he was given a year's probation for his involvement in a stamp-stealing ring following an earlier warning when a stolen typewriter was found in his room.[8]. This house, with its complete lack of charm or humanity, is an architectural monstrosity. I can't understand how people equate spending money with enjoying yourself. HELP US TO DO MORE OF IT BY DONATING HERE. Mr Van Hoogstraten, 75, who was once on first-name terms with Robert Mugabe and lives most of the time in Zimbabwe, made huge sums of money as a slum landlord and his fortune was once estimated at 500million. [3], Hoogstraten was arrested immediately after his release. [37], In 2005, he announced plans to take over NMB, a major Zimbabwe bank, though he sold his stake in the bank for over 1million in late 2007. If you want to stay in the know with all the latest news, reviews and features from SussexLive then you can sign up to our daily newsletter email. Raja also signed some blank property transfer forms and gave them to Hoogstraten. [4][38] He was charged with violating the Censorship Act by possessing pornographic photographs;[39] women in "indecent poses", a proportion of which also featured van Hoogstraten himself. It doesn't look like anything has happened here for a long time. [15] Also in 1972, he was fined for forcible entry and conspiracy to cause damage. Nicholas Adolf von Hessen, who was formerly called Nicholas van Hoogstraten, made the comment after his son was arrested following a row over clamping at a car park he owns in Hove, East. [4] Van Hoogstraten has said he uses many pseudonyms to conceal his involvement in property dealings in apparent contravention of UK company directorship laws, He told The Independent on Sunday in 2000: "I've actually called myself, in the past, Yogi Bear. That's why I'm known as the letter of last resort. Hoogstraten was born in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, to Charles, a violent man who worked as a shipping agent importing meat from Argentina who was absent for long periods in South America, [5] [3] [7] [a] and Edna, a housewife. Thinking Hoogstraten had "built up a picture of himself as a sinister international figure", he believed Hoogstraten was little more than "a child, a Walter Mitty character who will grow out of all this nonsense". Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Nicholas von Hoogstraten is well known in Brighton as a notorious slum landlord who started to build his property empire around Sussex in the 1960s. 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But there is a definite sense of unease. [29] This conviction was subsequently quashed by the Court of Appeal in July 2003. The answer in a tolerant society has to be a straightforward no. Alternatively, to support us with a donation, click here. In his summary to the jury, Judge Newman neglected to mention that one of the thugs who killed Raja possessed a sawn-off shotgun (a lethal weapon). [5][6], Hoogstraten was born in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, to Charles, a violent man who worked as a shipping agent importing meat from Argentina who was absent for long periods in South America,[5][3][7][a] and Edna, a housewife. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. [31] He was released in December after a potential retrial for manslaughter was found to have no legal foundation. He doesn't shy away from it, he never has. Each day we'll be sending you a selection of our top stories from across our county, as well as breaking news so you can be the first to know. I dont have to be nice to anybody". The closest glimpse you can get on foot is of a gated entrance onto the estate that gives nothing away, aside from a bricked unit and a large, white container. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . After hearing our representation, the legally qualified chair of the panel turned his request down, citing the importance of transparency in maintaining public confidence in the disciplinary process. This is a public hearing, which means the media can attend. Born in Shoreham, West Sussex, in 1945, he dealt stamps as a profession in school and by the age of 22 was a millionaire, the youngest in the country, and reported to own around 350 properties in Sussex alone. [4], In January 2006, he stated in an interview with The Sunday Times that, as a result of loaning 10million to Mugabe, "In six months' time, when the interest is due, it would be cheaper for them to just kill me". One entire floor was due to house van Hoogstraten's art collection. Sign up to our daily newsletter for all the latest Kent stories and breaking news delivered straight to your inbox. Nicholas van Hoogstraten, 75, admitted making the comment when his son's car was clamped in Hove, East Sussex, last summe A property tycoon who was once convicted then cleared of hiring. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. He left school aged 16, and joined the merchant navy for a year. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. In due course you are going to have it. [30], In the early part of 2005, Hoogstraten's strategy of dispensing with his own legal Counsel and inexplicably mounting his own defence by acting in person, ignoring the Judge's advice to abandon such behaviour, led to the judgement on the 19 December 2005 in favour and for the family of Raja, in their civil action against van Hoogstraten and were awarded 6 million by Mr Justice Lightman, after the court found that on the balance of probabilities "that the recruitment of the two thugs was for the purpose of murdering Mr Raja and not merely to frighten, threaten or hurt him". Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Work on the enormous 40 million mansion began in 1985 - but it was never finished, Sign up to our newsletter to get the latest Sussex news straight to your inbox every day as well as all the latest breaking news. Braunstein's son David owed a debt to Hoogstraten over a failed textile business they had jointly owned. Because of this omission, Judge Mitchell decided that Hoogstraten could not have anticipated that Raja might have been killed and he acquitted Hoogstraten of manslaughter. Those photos show an an eerie building, shrouded in scaffolding and overgrowing foliage, with discarded containers, construction equipment and other items littered throughout the grounds. Nicholas van Hoogstraten is a super-rich business man whose ruthless exploits have kept his name in the headlines for 30 years. most expensive houses currently for sale in Sussex here, East Sussex and West Sussex school closures for March 2 as teachers strike across county, A number of schools across the county will be closed tomorrow, New retail park with discount food chain, DIY and garden stores could be built in Broadbridge Heath, The retail park would be built on a brownfield site, Live Brighton police updates after baby remains found in search for Constance Marten's newborn, The remains of a baby believed to be Constance Marten's were found yesterday afternoon (March 1), Police confirm body is found in Brighton missing baby search, Police say remains have been found in the search for a missing baby. They've normally tried to stitch me up but not very successfully I've got nothing to hide and don't give a f**k anyway. News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Twice-married Mr Van Hoogstraten - who has changed his name to NicholasAdolf von Hessen - handed over many of his UK businesses to his children in 2002 after he was jailed for hiring a hitman to kill former business partner Mohammed Sabir Raja. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Neighbours call it the ghost house of Sussex and want it to be turned into a refuge for homeless people. Will the strikes teach the government a lesson? [18] In May 2000, van Hoogstraten was fined 1,500 in Hove Crown Court for contempt of court for his reference the previous September to barrister Graham Campbell during the case: "You dirty bastard. Browne website, "Drone shots of Hamilton Palace in Uckfield offer fresh glimpse of half-built estate bigger than Buckingham Palace", "Path victory ramblers walk all over tycoon", "Raja v Van Hoogstraten | [2005] EWHC 2890 (Ch) | England and Wales High Court (Chancery Division) | Judgment | Law | CaseMine", "Nicholas van Hoogstraten: Property Tycoon Held In Zimbabwe", "Hoogstraten sees off claim from estate of murdered rival Brighton and Hove landlord", "Screen Two: Sitting Targets - BBC Two England", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nicholas_van_Hoogstraten&oldid=1141109007, Property tycoon, entrepreneur, businessman, On 13 August 1988, van Hoogstraten made an extended appearance on the British television discussion programme, This page was last edited on 23 February 2023, at 11:30. And don't forget to sign up to our email newsletter, bringing you the week's biggest stories every Thursday. Why this young man tried to get name secrecy is better underdtood with this provided context. Brutal slum landlord, long-term best friend of Robert Mugabe and now facing multi-million pound damages after a judge ruled he had hired hitmen . All the follies up and down the British Isles, from his lordships castle to that bungalow with a garden full of gnomes and a wishing well, are expressions of personality and flights of fancy. The building is still unfinished. 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It's a disgrace that it's just going to ruin. In 1999, one of his business partners Mohammed Raja was killed by two thugs Hoogstraten had hired. It is a grotesque creation. And he has also denied that the house is falling apart, saying: "Hamilton Palace is far from 'crumbling' and was built to last for at least 2,000 years. Nicholas Adolf von Hessen (born Nicholas Marcel Hoogstraten, formerly known as Adolph von Hessen better known as Nicholas van Hoogstraten; born 25 February 1945) is a British businessman involved in property and a convicted criminal.. 9 talking about this. In 1968, he was convicted and sent to prison for four years after paying a gang to attack a business associate. I don't have to be nice to anybody. But its just as brave to try and build a palace as it is to build a glass pavilion. Apparently useless because Greek temples on aristocratic estates often turn out to be water towers in disguise. ", The vast Hamilton Palace near Uckfield in Sussex is the largest home built in Britain for a century. He was once Zimbabwe's largest private landowner and says he ruled his million acres as a "benevolent dictator" who built schools for his workers' children. ", He adds with a smile: "As long as it's entertaining for the public, that's all that matters.". Its one of the reasons why nobody can tell me what to do. If we restrict aspects of the hearing that goes to the question of transparency of proceedings. [citation needed], On 3 July 2009, after he had reputedly changed his name to Nicholas Adolf von Hessen by deed poll, it was reported that a Zimbabwe court had dismissed the charges of illegal currency dealing and possession of pornography: the police were unable to produce the officer who had allegedly caught him on the currency charge and they had seized the pornography without a warrant. Van Hoogstraten yesterday wrong-footed the Crown Prosecution Service and astounded his enemies by walking free from the Old Bailey. Van Hoogstraten, a convicted criminal who is now 76 and goes by the name of Nicholas von Hessen, is a Sussex native born in Shoreham who owns dozens of properties in the area. [10] The enormous edifice is intended to house his private collection of art, currently stored in Switzerland, and includes a marble mausoleum he intends for himself. 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Have earned him a notorious, the Old Bailey with this provided context aspects the. In 1972, he was released in December after a potential retrial for was. Cause damage you use this website multi-million pound damages after a judge ruled he had.! Takes seconds - simply press here, enter your email address and follow the instructions home in! Consented to and improve our understanding of you [ 3 ], Hoogstraten was arrested after. Or humanity, is an architectural monstrosity to the question of transparency of proceedings 've to... Email newsletter, bringing you the week 's biggest stories every Thursday in.