Accountant jailed over VAT fraud
An accountant has been sent to prison after pleading guilty to 15 charges of VAT evasion.
David Robinson, 48, who appeared at Northampton Crown Court, admitted to using a false VAT number to charge his clients VAT and keeping the money for himself.
His fraud, which took place between October 1994 and June 1998, involved a total of £42,000.
Customs and Excise launched an investigation after being ‘alerted’ to the fraud and Robinson was eventually arrested in June 1999.
Robinson, of The High Street, Ravensthorpe, Northants, was given nine months for each of the 15 charges with the sentences to run concurrently.
A spokesman for Customs said: ‘This was a very successful conclusion to the investigation by our local fraud team.
‘I hope it sends a clear message to the business community that fraud will not be tolerated.’
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