Ben Jones, Director, represented N who faced 4 charges before the Newcastle Crown Court. Three charges related to fraudulent evasion of VAT along with a further count of cheating the public revenue by failing to pay HMRC National Insurance and Income Tax in respect of employees of companies in which he was an accountant. The case was prosecuted as Operation Steak. The case involved allegations spanning a number of years and allegedly committed through a number of companies under the same control. 

 

A vigorous defence was put forward during the trial, which lasted for 20 days, after which our defendant was unanimously acquitted whilst the others who faced a jury were convicted. In this case, which at times flirted with cut-throat defences, we utilised defence obtained HMRC documentation and research documentation to compile a defence jury bundle which we feel assisted the jury and swayed the verdict in our favour.

 

The convicted defendants will be sentenced later this month. On acquittal our client received a Defence Costs order and the court ordered the return of all his legal aid contributions.

 

Counsel instructed was Mr Glenn Gatland of Trinity Chambers in Newcastle.

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Case represented by Ben Jones, Opus Law.