Greedy businessman who tried to rip off government out of £1.8m is jailed
A greedy businessman who tried to rip off the government out of over £1.8m has been jailed.
Jack Stilwell, 34, of Green Lanes Farm, Forestside in Rowlands Castle, was jailed for two and a half years for VAT fraud this morning at Portsmouth Crown Court.
The unscrupulous VAT fraud took place across three Guildford-based companies - a beef firm called Roundstone Beef Ltd, a farming company known as Greenwell Farms Ltd and a holdings organisation that went by the name of Greenwell Holdings Ltd.
Stillwell was charged with three counts of furnishing false returns of VAT which he admitted at a previous hearing. The offences took place between 1 November 2021 and 1 June 2022, and on 2 July 2022.
The first offence followed 20 false VAT statements on behalf of Roundstone Beef Ltd, totalling a whopping £1,278,277.13. The second conviction involved a single false VAT statement submitted on 2 July, 2022, for Greenwell Farms Ltd in which the defendant claimed £37,621.00.
The third charge related to eight false statements submitted on behalf of Greenwell Holdings Ltd, amounting to £568,345.66.