AN IRISHMAN who was formerly the landlord of a London pub has been handed a suspended prison sentence for committing tax fraud.
Co. Mayo native Patrick O’Donnell, of St Agnes Place, Kennington, London, SE11, pleaded guilty on Monday, September 7 at Southwark Crown Court to fraudulently evading both income tax and National Insurance payments.
He was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work.
The 52-year-old – who was the former landlord of The Prince of Wales pub on St Georges Road, Southwark – invented four employees to steal almost £84,560.
He used the fake employee information through his payroll system for six years, between August 2008 and April 2014, to reduce the profits he declared and inflate his expenses.
O’Donnell was sentenced after an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
He was arrested in April 2014 and during a search of the pub £50,000 in cash was seized, which was later confirmed as proceeds of the crime.
Further proceedings are underway to reclaim other remaining criminal profits.
Gary Forbes Assistant Director, Criminal Taxes Unit, HMRC, said: “O’Donnell thought he could get away with stealing taxpayers’ money to support his own lifestyle.
“He did not care that he was depriving pubic services of much needed funding or that he was exploiting legitimate publicans, who work hard to pay the tax owed and on time.”
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