Man and son guilty of £20m scam

Guilty vedicts for the two John Flemings

A father and son have been found guilty of heading a tobacco smuggling operation which cost the taxman an estimated £20m over two years.

John Fleming, 56, and his son also named John, 36, both from Kilmarnock, were found guilty along with another man of evading excise duty on tobacco.

Fleming Snr, of Nith Place, his son, of Wyvis Road, and James O'Neill, 66, of Craugurdland Road, all Kilmarnock, had denied having anything to do with the conspiracy.

During the trial, Maidstone Crown Court heard how the father and son team were the "driving force" behind a scam which arranged for couriers to make about 3,500 ticketed journeys to France by sea and via the Channel Tunnel.

Customs and Excise estimated that the operation cost it at least £20m over a two-year period.

Also charged with being part of the conspiracy are Thomas Burns, 42, of London Road, in Kilmarnock, Michael Hicks, 51 of Napier Terrace, in Glasgow, Archie Bain, 56, of Barbados Road, Kilmarnock and Tracey Archer, 38, of Grace Walk, Deal, in Kent.

All deny the charges and the jury continues to deliberate on the verdicts in their cases.