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Barrister's £17.5m sham VAT claim | Barrister's £17.5m sham VAT claim |
(about 2 hours later) | |
A barrister who tried to claim a £17.5m VAT repayment for the bogus sale of four Boeing 747 engines has been jailed for five years. | A barrister who tried to claim a £17.5m VAT repayment for the bogus sale of four Boeing 747 engines has been jailed for five years. |
John Wilmot, 35, who worked in Temple Chambers, said he paid more than £100m for the engines in south London then sold them to an Iraqi businessman. | |
He was convicted of cheating the public revenue at Southwark Crown Court. | He was convicted of cheating the public revenue at Southwark Crown Court. |
"This was an audacious attempt to obtain a very large sum of public money," said Judge Deborah Taylor. | "This was an audacious attempt to obtain a very large sum of public money," said Judge Deborah Taylor. |
'Sham transaction' | 'Sham transaction' |
Wilmot claimed he paid £100m plus VAT for the four aircraft engines in Croydon, south London. | Wilmot claimed he paid £100m plus VAT for the four aircraft engines in Croydon, south London. |
He claimed he then sold them VAT-free to Basra Airport in Iraq, via a businessman he met at a garden party. | He claimed he then sold them VAT-free to Basra Airport in Iraq, via a businessman he met at a garden party. |
Wilmot sent a VAT return to Customs and Excise reclaiming the VAT on the imaginary sale, which would have totalled £17.5m. | Wilmot sent a VAT return to Customs and Excise reclaiming the VAT on the imaginary sale, which would have totalled £17.5m. |
When challenged to prove the transaction had taken place, Wilmot backed up his "elaborate" scheme with a series of fake documents. | When challenged to prove the transaction had taken place, Wilmot backed up his "elaborate" scheme with a series of fake documents. |
Judge Taylor said: "You concocted a sham transaction, you used the details of an existing company in Croydon who you claimed were vendors of the engines to produce invoices. | Judge Taylor said: "You concocted a sham transaction, you used the details of an existing company in Croydon who you claimed were vendors of the engines to produce invoices. |
"They had never heard of you nor dealt in second hand aircraft engines." | "They had never heard of you nor dealt in second hand aircraft engines." |
Wilmot gave Customs and Excise the name of the ship he supposedly used to transport the engines to Iraq. | Wilmot gave Customs and Excise the name of the ship he supposedly used to transport the engines to Iraq. |
But a check revealed that it was actually a grain carrier which was not equipped to carry any other type of cargo. | But a check revealed that it was actually a grain carrier which was not equipped to carry any other type of cargo. |
Sentencing, the judge said that in addition to prison she was going to recommend Wilmot be deported to his Nigerian homeland upon his release. | Sentencing, the judge said that in addition to prison she was going to recommend Wilmot be deported to his Nigerian homeland upon his release. |
He was also disqualified from being a company director for eight years. | He was also disqualified from being a company director for eight years. |
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