Essex celebrity rehab centre 'duped' patients
A celebrity rehab centre, which once counted Amy Winehouse as a client, has been fined £8,000 and branded "scandalously negligent" by a judge.
The firm, 27 Management, admitted running an unregistered hospital, The Causeway Retreat, on Osea island in Essex, Chelmsford magistrates heard.
The company also admitted running an unregistered clinic in Colchester.
District Judge David Cooper said the firm's standards "would really shame a third world country".
The action against 27 Management was brought by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The CQC's barrister, Paul Spencer, told the court that the company had "effectively duped" patients and "attempted to deceive" the Commission.
In addition to the fine, the judge ordered the firm to pay £30,000 in costs.