Care Home directors disqualified for providing documents showing fictitious payments to HMRC

5 Oct 2015 12:08 PM

Ian Brett Coombes and Karen Jane Coombes - both of Cheddar and directors of care home companies Alutarius Ltd and Carepro Ltd - have been given director disqualifications of 8 and 4 years, respectively, for their roles in providing documents to accountants detailing fictitious payments to HMRC.

Mr and Mrs Coombes’ disqualifications follow an investigation by the Insolvency Service into the companies Alutarius Ltd, which managed and operated 8 care homes for the elderly and Carepro UK Ltd which provided domiciliary care.

Ian Brett Coombes (49) gave an 8-year Directors Disqualification Undertaking on 2 September 2015 for providing documentation to the company accountant for preparation of the end of year accounts which recorded fictitious payments totalling £830,015 made to HMRC.

Mr Coombes also failed to meet statutory obligations that these accounts were then audited and also that PAYE/NIC returns were filed to HMRC. Furthermore, he caused another company to trade to the detriment of HMRC resulting in a liability of £567,466 to HMRC.

Karen Jane Coombes (45) gave a 4-year Directors Disqualification Undertaking on 2 September 2015 for her involvement.

David Brooks, Chief Investigator of the Insolvency Service, commented:

These disqualifications should demonstrate to company directors that the Insolvency Service will investigate all forms of misconduct, no matter how complicated the evidence or how long the paper trail is.

We will always look to remove from the business community those directors who act below the standards expected of them

The disqualifications mean that Mr and Mrs Coombes may not be directors of a company or be involved in the management of a company in any way for the duration of the disqualifications.

Notes to Editors

Ian Brett Coombes date of birth is 4 November 1965.

Karen Jane Coombes date of birth is 22 September 1971.

Alutarius Ltd (CRO No. 04382684) was incorporated on 27 February 2002. It was placed into administration on 2 August 2010.

Carepro UK Ltd (CRO No 05692711) was incorporated on 31 January 2006. It was place into administration on 14 June 2011.

The companies trading addresses were:

A disqualification order has the effect that without specific permission of a court, a person with a disqualification cannot:

In addition that person cannot act as an insolvency practitioner and there are many other restrictions are placed on disqualified directors by other regulations. Disqualification undertakings are the administrative equivalent of a disqualification order but do not involve court proceedings. Further information on director disqualifications and restrictions is available.

The Insolvency Service administers the insolvency regime, investigating all compulsory liquidations and individual insolvencies (bankruptcies) through the Official Receiver to establish why they became insolvent. It may also use powers under the Companies Act 1985 to conduct confidential fact-finding investigations into the activities of live limited companies in the UK. In addition, the agency authorises and regulates the insolvency profession, deals with disqualification of directors in corporate failures, assesses and pays statutory entitlement to redundancy payments when an employer cannot or will not pay employees, provides banking and investment services for bankruptcy and liquidation estate funds and advises ministers and other government departments on insolvency law and practice.

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available.

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