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Former army captain lived the high life after duping the taxman

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A disgraced army captain lived the high-life after duping the taxman out of £140,000 – before attempting to falsely claim another £1.8m in VAT repayments.

Anthony Michael Knowles blew the money on expensive jewellery and stays in top London hotel Claridges and spun a yarn that the ruler of Dubai had lent his business £25m when tax officers became suspicious.

Knowles, 57, of Clapgate Crescent in Widnes , who attended Liverpool Crown Court in a wheelchair and breathing with the use of an oxygen machine, was jailed four years after admitting VAT fraud.

The court heard Knowles was previously convicted for theft in 2008 after falsely claiming £69,000 on his War Pension by telling the Ministry of Defence he was incapable of work, despite running three companies.

The new offences involved an equestrian medical supplies business, Eques Nobilis, founded by Knowles in 2006.

Kevin Slack, prosecuting, said: “Over the years the defendant submitted VAT repayment claims between £1,000 and £4,000. But in June 2013 that pattern was to change to the very large amount of £191,000.

“Unsurprisingly that claim was subjected to a verification process that existed within HMRC, and as part of the process a HMRC officer visited the defendant’s home address.”

The court heard a payment of £140,000 was granted after Knowles provided invoices apparently from companies which he said supplied goods to the business, including Rutronik and Alpha Micro Components.

However later investigations found that although Knowles placed orders with Rutronik, he had never paid for the items and never received any deliveries.

Mr Slack said: “The second investigation, into Alpha Micro, proved to be even more stark. The company said the had never delivered any supplies to the defendant’s company, and they were able to confirm that an invoice he had submitted bearing their name was not one of their company invoices.”

But Mr Slack said HMRC received a further “staggering” VAT repayment claim seeking £1.8m, which triggered another verification visit from tax officers.

 Former army captain lived the high life after duping the taxman

The Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts, Liverpool Magistrates’ Court

He told the court: “The defendant said Sheikh Mohammed, the ruler of Dubai and the owner of Godolphin’s stables, had provided funds to the defendant’s business to the tune of £25m.”

Mr Slack said he told the officers he had been deployed to the Middle East during his time in the military, and showed the officer a forged bank statement which stated there was £21m in his business account.

However the court heard he had never served in the Special Forces and was never deployed to the Middle East during his army days.

Officers also contacted a company based in Warrington which Knowles claimed he had bought supplies from, only to find they had never made any deliveries to his company.

Mr Slack said investigators found Knowles had blown £8,000 on two visits to Claridges’ and on high-end jewellers Boodles in Liverpool.

He has also been in negotiations to buy a £600,000 converted farmhouse and a £115,000 Range Rover.

Gareth Roberts, defending, told the court Knowles had started life with a bright future and studied at the renowned Royal Military Academy in Sandringham before joining the Household Cavalry.

He said his client had been in training with the Special Forces but was forced to drop out after a car accident in 1983.

Mr Roberts said his client was “fragile both mentally and physically” and has suffered an undiagnosed neurological condition, which he claimed had been worsening since the accident.

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He said: “(Knowles) made catastrophic decisions that the healthy man from three decades earlier would never have countenanced.”

The court heard the defendant needed 24 hour care from his wife and daughter and had limited memory of the offences.

However presiding Judge Jonathan-Rowe Foster, QC, said doctors could find no evidence of a serious neurological condition.

He said: “You have presented as a severely disabled person. I have read medical reports and I can find little support for that presentation…

“I note he was fit enough to commit this very serious fraud. I further note he was well enough to spend substantial amounts of the proceeds and planned to spend a lot more.”

The defendant’s wife and daughter sobbed as he was led to the cells.

Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/


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