A fraudster and his ex-partner stole more than £1milion of taxpayers’ money and splashed out on dream holidays, expensive cars and Lego sets.
Lee Hickinbottom, 49, and Tabatha Knott, 34, fraudulently submitted VAT repayment claims to HMRC between 2014 and 2017.
The pair spent £120,000 in cash to buy their home in Dudley and £127,000 on home improvements including a hot tub, as well as £20,000 of shares in a confectionery company.
Away from the home their purchases included a fleet of flash cars, season tickets at Everton and Lego kits, the Liverpool Echo reported.
Hickinbottom submitted most of the claims through his Serenity Community Transport business and provided false invoices.
In December 2020, Hickinbottom pleaded guilty to dishonestly claiming £28,000 of Job Seekers’ Allowance and Employment Support Allowance between July 2013 and October 2016.
The pair were found guilty of VAT fraud on March 25, following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court. Knott was also convicted of money laundering offences.
Nick Stone, assistant director at the HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service said: "Lee Hickinbottom and his former partner used stolen taxpayers’ cash to fund a lavish lifestyle that included hot tubs, holidays and home improvements they could not legitimately afford.
“The majority of businesses and individuals pay the tax that is due, but we will relentlessly pursue the determined minority who refuse to play by the rules.
"Tax fraud is not a victimless crime, it robs our vital public services of much-needed funds."
In total the pair stole £1.3milion from taxpayers. In a failed attempt to hide the cash Hickinbottom moved money between several personal bank accounts set up in his own name. Other attempts included transferring £346,512 to family and friends, sending £76,908 to Knott.
His banking records proved that he spent more than £250,000 on a fleet of flash cars, including £83,157 on a Jaguar F pace, £57,820 on two Jaguar XFs and £62,089 on a Land Rover Defender. Other lifestyle purchases included £18,847 spent on iTunes, £15,925 on Apple products, more than £1,000 on trips to Alton Towers and £4,220 spent supporting Everton Football Club, including £970 on a pair of season tickets for him and Knott.
Hickinbottom also splashed out more than £1,500 on Lego and treated himself to build kits for The Avengers, Batman and Tower Bridge in London.
HMRC officers uncovered the fraud when the claims were checked.
Hickinbottom was remanded into custody ahead of sentencing, scheduled for May 20 at Birmingham Crown Court.
Anamarie Coomansingh of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said: "Taxpayers’ money, which should have been spent on vital public services such as the NHS, education and social care was instead used to fund the unearned and extravagant lifestyle these defendants enjoyed.
"The CPS will be inviting the court to put in place measures to prevent Lee Hickinbottom, a career criminal, from committing similar offences in the future. We will also be pursuing confiscation proceedings against all three defendants, to strip them of any money from their criminal activity."
Confiscation proceedings are underway to recover the stolen money.
