Michael Adams jailed: Member of notorious crime family cheated his way around £300k tax

Lost revenue: HMRC
Shutterstock / Claudio Divizia
Robin de Peyer29 June 2018
WEST END FINAL

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A member of a well-known crime family has been jailed for cheating his way out of around £300,000 in tax.

Michael Adams was sentenced to 38 months in prison after hiding hundreds of thousands of pounds, including more than £200,000 in cash which was stashed in a chest of drawers at his partner's mother's flat.

Adams, of Windermere Avenue in north London, hid the funds over eight years, which the judge noted was a "sustained period of time".

The 53-year-old spent more than £80,000 on holidays, bedroom and kitchen overhauls and school fees, Croydon Crown Court heard.

His family, including his partner and children, blew kisses to him from the public gallery as he was led away by a dock officer after being sentenced on Friday.

Prosecutor Richard Sutton QC said Adams, wearing a white shirt, dark trousers and dark trainers, had submitted seven self-assessment tax returns between 2006 and 2013.

"Each of these was incorrect and he failed to declare his true taxable income," he said.

Judge Nicholas Ainley said: "What happened in this case is that over a period of time that happens from sometime in 2006 until April 2014 Michael Adams was hiding large quantities of money that were subject to income tax from the revenue.

"This was done by movement of cash principally, by receipt of monies into his account, or into the account of others and thereafter diverting that money to his own use when some of it at least should have been accounted for to the revenue."

While the prosecution submitted the loss to HM Revenue and Customs could have been more than £560,000, they accepted it was hard to calculate an exact figure.

The judge said: "It seems to me that the loss could not on any reasonable showing be below about £300,000. It may be more."

Judge Ainley noted that Adams had no relevant previous convictions and that his last conviction was more than 30 years ago.

He also said proceedings had been "hanging over" Adams and his family for four years.

Adams had pleaded guilty to one count of cheating the public revenue, contrary to common law.

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