Guitarist Is Ordered To Pay Back £157,000 To Taxpayers!

A benefits cheat who played guitar in a band called Shady Deal has been ordered to pay back more than £157,000.

Anthony Jarrard, 50, dishonestly pocketed council tax benefit, jobseeker’s allowance, income support and incapacity benefit, while neglecting to declare that he owned a house in Braintree, Essex. The talented musician claimed to be unemployed but earned money from playing in his band, and teaching and fixing the guitar, Ipswich Crown Court heard. He also had tens of thousands of pounds in savings.

The unscrupulous criminal was only caught out when he was arrested for shoplifting at Halfords in Lowestoft, Suffolk, in 2009 and was found to have a Halifax bank card in another name. He initially claimed he had found it in the town centre but later admitted the card belonged to him and told officers he had opened the account in a fake name to avoid paying Poll Tax.

Suffolk Police’s Financial Investigation Unit began looking into his circumstances and discovered he had been claiming benefits since 1995. Jarrard had owned his home in Braintree since 1998 and when he began claiming council tax benefit in 2003 he had £69,000 savings in his bank account, the judge heard. Jarrard admitted three offences of failing to notify a change in circumstances while claiming benefit.

If you wish to teach guitar ‘My Guitar Lessons’ will show you how to avoid paying large tax bills, how to do your accounts without being dishonest and how not to have to pay an accountant.

Thanks to the Daily Mail for this story.