‘Fake’ events organiser jailed

A ROGUE businessman who faked paperwork to steal almost £112,000 in a VAT repayment fraud has been jailed for 30 months.

An investigation by HM Revenue and Customs revealed that 46-year-old Bury man Andrew Buckner, who purported to be in the events business, was in fact unemployed  and on benefits.

Buckner was director of KRKCI Ltd between 2009 and 2012, and claimed to organise functions in the North West  under the name kid Rock Events.
He met with several golf clubs, proposing to hold events in their clubhouses, but was in fact faking all business activity and forging paperwork to obtain illegal VAT repayments. He attempted to steal £111,981 before the business was closed down.

Sandra Smith, assistant director, criminal investigation at HMRC said: “Buckner would visit golf venues and discuss large events but as the date got closer communication would cease and no event would take place. He also created aliases to deceive the golf clubs and others in this fraud. It is clear he created the company purely to defraud the VAT system for his own personal gain at the expense of the taxpayer.”

Buckner was arrested and in interview admitted he was actually unemployed and had been claiming benefits for 10 years. His company was struck off by Companies House in 2012, as he had failed to manage the company appropriately under UK business rules.

Buckner of Byrom Street in Bury pleaded guilty in May to a number of charges of VAT fraud and fraud and was sentenced at  Manchester Crown Court on September 8.

He was sentenced to 30 months for the VAT offence and 18 months for the fraud offences to run concurrently. The court also ordered the immediate destruction of the laptop and documents Buckner had used for the fraud.

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