CHEATING TAXMAN HIT WITH -150K CONFISCATION ORDER

7 Apr 2004 04:45 PM

A former Inland Revenue employee who is currently serving a 4 year jail sentence for his part in a repayment fraud was hit with a confiscation order for 154,654.59 at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday.

42 year old John Fidler of Swanside Avenue, Huyton was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court in February after pleading guilty to the fraud which netted 257,586. There were a number of accomplices including a colleague at the Sefton Inland Revenue office, Marie Till.

Following an adjourned confiscation hearing at which the trial Judge HHJ Clifton ordered Fidler to supply documentary evidence, the full hearing took place on 6th April 2004. Having heard Fidler's evidence, HHJ Clifton determined the benefit that Fidler had obtained amounted to 260,154.59. The judge decided that part of the proceeds had been used, for example, to pay school fees, leaving the figure of 154,654.59 as representing Fidler's realisable property. The Confiscation Order was therefore made in that sum. Failure to pay that confiscation within 12 months will result in a further 2 years prison sentence in addition to the 4 years already being served by Fidler.

HHJ Clifton stated that he believed money or proceeds of the offence is salted away out of reach.

At the first confiscation hearing Marie Till was ordered to pay 2,154.20 and another co-defendant, Christopher Robinson 3,749.32. Default sentences of 35 days and 70 days apply if these sums are not paid.

DETAILS

1. John Fidler and Marie Till were both employed as Band E1 Revenue Officers at the Bootle Merseyview Tax Office in The Triad, Bootle. Fidler joined the department in 1979, Till in 1988.

2. The systematic fraud, which involved the setting up of false computer records and the issuing of repayment cheques, took place over a four year period between November 1997 and October 2001.

3. The eight outside accomplices were: Christopher Robinson, David Navis, Monica Manning, Robert Culshaw, Lorraine Kelly, Anthony Curran, Ronald Hagan and his son, Stephen Hagen.

4. Robinson and Monica Manning were both jailed for 9 months, Navis, described by the judge as "not of good character" was jailed for 8 months. Culshaw, Curran and Stephen Hagan were all handed the maximum of 240 hours community punishment and ordered to pay compensation to the Inland Revenue of 1000 each. Lorraine Kelly was given a 50 hour community punishment order and a two year rehabilitation order, Ronald Hagan was ordered to do 200 hours community punishment.

5. The case was investigated by the Inland Revenue Board's Investigation Office, a branch of the Special Compliance Office based in Nottingham. It was brought to trial by the Inland Revenue Solicitor's Office.

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