TAX INSPECTOR JAILED FOR TAX FRAUD

7 Feb 2005 05:45 PM

Mrs Margaret Scargill, aged 52, a Tax Inspector was today sentenced to 6 months imprisonment at Leeds Crown Court for fraud.

Internal Revenue investigations uncovered that between July 1998 and July 2003, Mrs Scargill was responsible for the issue of 26 false repayments. These were made to her two sisters; one of whom is a serving police officer, and to her niece.

The loss to the Revenue was about 10219.

In order to generate the false repayments Mrs Scargill manufactured false employment pay and tax details, and amended accurate pay and tax details relating to genuine employment's.

In sentencing Mrs Scargill His Honour, Judge Hoffman said:

"A fraud on the public and the public purse is particularly serious when it is one of the Inland Revenue's own. You did it because you were well placed to do it and a highly sophisticated fraud involving significant amount of false documents. This sentence is a warning to other Inland Revenue employees who may be tempted to act in a similar manner.

Mrs Scargill admitted responsibility for these actions when interviewed. She maintained that she had received no personal gain.

Inland Revenue Spokesperson Beryl St.James said:

"The Inland Revenue will not tolerate fraud and will always seek to prosecute that tiny minority of our staff who abuse their positions of trust by stealing from the public purse. Mrs Scargill has abused the trust placed in her by the public and the Department and by so doing she has let down her colleagues and her employer. "

NOTES FOR EDITORS

* Date of birth 23rd July 1952

* Occupation Inland Revenue Inspector - Huddersfield

* Scargill appeared at Leeds Crown Court on 24th November 2004 and pleaded guilty to charges of "Making false statements tending to prejudice Her Majesty the Queen and the Public Revenue with intent to defraud Her Majesty the Queen".

* At this hearing sentencing was deferred at the request of the defence in order for a psychologists report to be prepared.

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