‘Horse trader’ jailed after £280,000 fraud sparked international inquiry

A FAKE North Yorkshire horse trader who attempted to avoid an investigation into a £280,000 tax fraud by lying about having cancer has been jailed after an international investigation.

Christopher Stone, 35, of Albany Avenue, Harrogate, claimed to have spent £1.4m on horses, riding equipment and vet bills in a bid to generate VAT repayments for Otley-based SS Equestrian.

But the business was a sham, and when HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) asked for a meeting to discuss his tax affairs, Stone said he was travelling to America for terminal cancer treatment – and would not be available for two months.

Meanwhile, enquires with the US embassy proved he had not travelled to the United States.

Paul Barton, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: “This was a despicable attempt to avoid justice.”

The three-year fraud was uncovered when checks with Stone’s alleged suppliers revealed invoices used to support the VAT refund claims were fake. Bank statements provided to HMRC were doctored. Investigators concluded SS Equestrian had not engaged in any legitimate trade and was established purely to steal VAT, totalling £272,288.62 between 2011 and 2014. A further claim for £8,763.11 was withheld.

Stone was arrested at his then home in Uxbridge, West London, in October 2015. He pleaded guilty at Isleworth Crown Court to cheating the public revenue and was sentenced to 33 months in prison at the same court yesterday.