Judge criticised cosmetic surgery founder

The co-founder and former director of Irish firm Advanced Cosmetic Institute was found in a UK court to have "showed a cynical and reckless disregard" for his creditors' interests when he was involved with UK firms.

The comments were made by Vice-Chancellor Mr Justice Jonathan Parker in a Manchester court in July 1995 just before he disqualified Mr Jeffrey Burton from holding another directorship for eight years.

Last week Mr Burton resigned his directorship at Advanced Cosmetic Institute, Ireland's biggest cosmetic surgery group, after he was charged in Ireland with practising as a company director while an undischarged bankrupt. Mr Burton was declared bankrupt in a London court in 1990.

Advanced Cosmetic Institute has five clinics in Ireland in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Belfast and has carried out over 7,000 surgeries since its establishment in 1997.

During the Manchester case, Mr Burton was punished in relation to his conduct in the management of three companies. All three companies - Croxley Group, Photique (Sales Ideas) and Jandra (formerly CIS Manchester Ltd) - were compulsorily wound up.

"The evidence establishes a lack of commercial probity on the part of Mr Burton in his conduct of the affairs of each of CIS, Croxley and Photique, the case in relation to Photique being by far the most serious," the judge said at the time. "In the case of Photique, Mr Burton showed a cynical and reckless disregard \ his duties as a director of the interests of creditors."

Under UK law, a company director can be disqualified from practising if the police suspect a fraud, for "general misconduct whilst running a company", if a director knowingly continues to trade while insolvent, or for "breaches of the filing requirements, as specified in the Companies Act".

As well as the three companies which were the subject of the 1995 UK case, Mr Burton has been involved with a number of other firms in the UK and Ireland at various times. Records at the UK Companies Office show that one of the firms Mr Burton was associated with, Morcol Ltd, is now dissolved. And an Irish firm, Laragen Ltd, of which he was a director, is also dissolved.

Mr Burton, a 50-year-old British national, was arrested at Dublin Airport last month after arriving on a flight from the UK. He was detained at the Bridewell Garda station overnight and was charged the following morning at the Bridewell Court with working as a director of a company while an undischarged bankrupt.

He was released on bail and is scheduled to appear before an Irish court later this month. Following his court appearance at the Bridewell it is understood he returned to the UK.