A HAMPSHIRE man, who worked as a double-glazing salesman but never paid Income Tax, has today been handed a suspended sentence.

Chukwudi Daniel Nwodo, 30, from Catisfield Road, Fareham was caught after HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officers inspected his business records and found that he owed over £35,000 in Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions.

John Cooper, HMRC Assistant Director of Criminal Investigation, said: “Nwodo’s six-year history of tax evasion was blatant theft from public finances.

“He failed to pay any Income Tax and would have continued his fraud had HMRC officers not stopped him.

“Declaring income and paying tax is a legal requirement we all have to abide by, not a lifestyle choice. Tax fraud is a serious criminal offence and we ask anyone with information about people they suspect are not paying their dues to contact the Tax Evasion Hotline on 0800 788 887.”

Nwodo was sentenced today at Portsmouth Crown Court to 12 months, suspended for two years.

Sentencing, His Honour Judge Richard Price, said: “You cannot steal £35,000 from the taxpayer and expect to walk away without sentence.”

Nwodo, originally from Nigeria, was arrested after HMRC officers called at his home in August 2012. Investigations revealed that he was taking wages from the business without paying tax and NIC. He was later charged with fraud offences and pleaded not guilty at Portsmouth Crown Court in February 2013. He later changed his plea to guilty.

Investigators also discovered that Nwodo had failed to submit VAT returns and owed around £24,000 in VAT. This money has already been recovered through the civil process.