Jail for VAT fraud gambler

A businessman who staged a £200,000 tax fraud to pay off gambling debts has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Nigel Beadle obtained the money by claiming inflated and fictitious VAT returns and supplying false invoices, Hove Crown Court heard.

The 45-year-old originally claimed he was trying to hide the fact he was running a pornography business.

He 45-year-old was arrested after he sent in a tax claim for nearly £250,000 and Customs and Excise officers became suspicious.

Explicit merchandise

Beadle, from Oban Road in St Leonards, East Sussex, ran two business in the town, 1066 Good Food and Shop Til You Drop, the court heard.

The jury was told the father-of-three had supplied false information to the taxman for 18 months prior to his arrest in October 2002.

The court heard Beadle told customs officers he was making up invoices to disguise the fact he was running a pornography firm supplying explicit merchandise to top lawyers, whose identity he felt he should try to hide.

He later admitted that was a lie and he was trying to extract fraudulent VAT claims to pay off gambling debts built up over a three year period.

He admitted 12 counts of fraudulently evading VAT, furnishing a false return and producing, sending or making use of a false document.