Farmer Jailed For £1M-Plus VAT Fraud

A Horsham farmer was today sentenced to three years and eight months imprisonment for a VAT fraud.

Gayne Cooper, 62, who has two company directorships, appeared at Lewes Crown Court.

He had earlier appeared at Croydon Magistrates Court, where he pleaded guilty to one count of being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of VAT between April 1, 2013 and December 10, 2019.

Cooper, of Stonehouse Farm, Plummers Plain was said by the prosecution to be responsible for a £1.7m fraud.

He maintained the VAT figure was nearer £1.5m.

Cooper is a director of Hammer Valley Farm and Biowaste Recovery.

At the initial Magistrates Court appearance District Judge Devinder Sandhu announced: “The defendant has pleaded guilty to a serious offence. 

“It is a serious matter,” she told Cooper. “You have indicated a guilty plea to this court, which does not have sufficient sentencing powers to deal with you.”