A FRAUDSTER who funnelled hundreds of thousands of pounds through Jersey banks in an effort to hide his crimes and fought against his extradition to the Island has been jailed.
Martin Hill (58) had issued false VAT receipts while he ran two hotels in the Isle of Wight, instead pocketing the cash himself. He was caught after he applied for a tax rebate, which the court heard he was not able to justify, prompting an HMRC investigation.
He was jailed by Southwark Crown Court in 2019 and asked to repay £550,000 for the offences.
The six charges of money laundering in Jersey related to the same fraudulent funds.
Hill spoke to the court directly, telling them: “I fully accept what I have done. I committed these offences and I stand before you waiting to be sentenced and would like to bring these matters to an end. I fully accept everything that I have done.”
Advocate Paul Nicholls, defending, asked for Hill to receive a suspended sentence – which he said would be proportional as he had already been punished in England, and would take into account his mitigation.
He added that his client has serious health issues and, far from living a life of luxury, his family depended on Hill working to pay the mortgage on their house in Spain.
After proceedings in Jersey started, he fought against his extradition in the Spanish courts, claiming that, as he had already served a prison sentence in the UK, further prosecution amounted to double jeopardy.
The Bailiff, Robert MacRae, presiding, told Hill the offences were too serious for a suspended sentence.
He described Hill’s crimes as a “professional” money-laundering operation, which involved the use of multiple bank accounts to hide the proceeds of VAT fraud, buying and selling a flat and moving the money to Spain.
The Jersey accounts, he said, had been opened while Hill knew he was under investigation by HMRC.
He said: “We agree that sentencing in Jersey for money-laundering should encompass a strong deterrent element, as Jersey is an international finance centre which is zealous in upholding its strong reputation.”
To use Jersey’s banking system to launder the proceeds of crime committed “anywhere in the world is unacceptable and will not be tolerated”, he added.
Hill was jailed for a total of 21 months for six counts of converting or transferring criminal property, one count of possession of criminal property, one count of removing criminal property from Jersey.
The Bailiff was presiding with Jurats Christensen and Powell sitting.
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