A Wiltshire woman, who falsely claimed to be a furniture restorer to commit a £166,000 VAT fraud, has been jailed for two years and eight months after an HMRC investigation found that she had not undertaken any work
Lady Deborah Anne Devonshire, previously known as Georgiana Cavendish, lied that she traded as a furniture restorer and claimed £166,295 in VAT repayments, with £105,763 paid out, between August 2013 and February 2016.
However HMRC investigators failed to identify any trading activity and found her only income in this period was the VAT refunds from HMRC.
Devonshire pleaded guilty to VAT evasion and fraud by false representation at Swindon Crown Court and was immediately jailed for two years and eight months.
Upon sentencing Devonshire, Mr Recorder Clarkson QC, said: ‘You may be a fantasist. You obviously have created the prefix “Lady” with a view to being someone you are not. You have the style of a fraudster…HMRC’s job is difficult enough.’
The fraud was uncovered by HMRC compliance checks and referred for criminal investigation.
Colin Spinks, assistant director, fraud investigation service, HMRC, said: ‘Deborah Devonshire fraudulently used the tax system as her personal bank account. She lied about being in business to claim VAT refunds she wasn’t entitled to. There was no business to claim refunds for; it was a total fabrication.’
