Acting for the bank, Brick Court Chambers barrister Simon Birt claimed Arkhangelsky “is the ultimate chancer”, for whom “kicking the can down the road is a favourite tactic”.

Birt said: “Buying himself a bit more time here or there is all that he wanted. He must have known that his businesses were sunk.

“He knew that his Vyborg Shipping business was a bit of a pyramid scheme and he’d been siphoning off the money through Land Breeze for vessels which had just disappeared.”

Arkhangelsky’s