Northampton tax adviser jailed for £100,000 fraud

Joseph Logue admitted stealing £107,000

A tax agent who stole over £100,000 from 35 people, including a dying man, has been jailed.

Joseph Logue, 64, made genuine and bogus self-assessment claims and pocketed the money himself.

One of his victims was a man who was receiving end-of-life care and has since died.

Logue, of Abbey Street, Northampton, admitted the charges and was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court to three years and nine months in prison.

An investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) revealed Logue, had kept tax repayments himself instead of passing them on to his clients, using the money to buy alcohol and live in a hotel.

As a result, some of his victims struggled to claim Covid support and benefits because their tax returns had exaggerated their incomes.

'Despicable behaviour'

Others were questioned by HMRC about tax debts that they did not owe.

The widow of one of the victims told the court that Logue, who was a close personal friend, submitted a false tax return using her partner's details days after he was given weeks to live.

One client confronted Logue and went to his business premises to collect the repayment he was entitled to, but Logue had moved out hours earlier.

Logue admitted 35 charges of abuse of trust by fraudulently creating tax returns at a hearing in February.

Nick Stone, from HMRC's Fraud Investigation Service, said: "Joseph Logue's despicable behaviour has left a trail of destruction for victims who placed their trust in him and the professional services he was claiming to offer.

"This sentence should serve as a warning to the minority of corrupt professionals who wrongly believe they can use their knowledge and position of trust to commit tax crime."