Businessman Said to Be in Coma Faces Arrest After Being Spotted Shopping in Tesco

By: Israel Adeleke

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports as gathered that a UK businessman, Peter Etherington, 68, was ordered to be arrested after a court hears there is no evidence he is in hospital and claims he has been seen shopping in a Tesco store.

OTN News further reports as gathered that Etherington, of Belle Vue, Ilkley, fails to appear before Bradford Magistrates’ Court on Friday over charges brought by the Insolvency Service. 

He is accused of being involved in the management of PP Global Media Ltd while banned from acting as a company director under an existing court order.

An email, said to be from his daughter, claims Etherington is in hospital in an induced coma, but prosecutors find no supporting medical evidence. 

Mrs. Clegg, prosecuting on behalf of the Insolvency Service, tells the court that his absence “is not unexpected.” 

She said the court had emailed Etherington on December 15 to remind him of the hearing, and the response allegedly from his daughter stated he was in a coma.

Clegg highlighted inconsistencies in Etherington’s claims, noting that he continued online activity despite supposedly being hospitalized.

“He signed papers on the day we received the email. There were also updates on his Facebook page on December 21 and 22. There is also information to suggest he has been seen in Tesco,” she told the court.

The case, originally scheduled for October 24, 2025, was postponed after Etherington claimed he was due to undergo surgery. 

The prosecution also confirmed that checks with local hospitals, including St James and Leeds General Infirmary, show no record of him being a recent in-patient.

Magistrates agreed there is no evidence supporting the claim of an induced coma and issue a warrant for Etherington’s arrest. 

The charge, which relates to activity between April 2019 and October 2022, carries the possibility of a prison sentence if convicted.

The Insolvency Service said it is prepared to pursue the case rigorously, given the seriousness of breaches of director bans, while highlighting the unusual circumstances surrounding Etherington’s absence and purported medical condition.