£1m cheat to repay £159k

A CONTRACTS manager who defrauded a council out of £1million must pay back just £159,000.

Stephen Crewdson, 47, was jailed for seven-and-ahalf years last year, after secretly paying his own firm while he worked for Lancashire Council.

He spent £172,000 on credit cards and drove an Aston Martin but Preston Crown Court heard his only asset was a £159,000 house. He must now sell it.

HMRC said Crewdson, of Manchester, had been “stripped of everything”.