Audio By Carbonatix
Dominic Chappell, the former owner of BHS, has been sentenced to six years in jail for tax evasion.
A Southwark Crown Court jury found him guilty of failing to pay tax of around £584,000 on £2.2m of income he received after buying the failed chain for £1.
The court heard the 53-year-old spent the money on two yachts, a Bentley and a holiday to the Bahamas.
Former BHS owner jailed for 6 years for tax evasion https://t.co/flAOYk0siI
— BBC Business (@BBCBusiness) November 5, 2020
Chappell's lawyers claimed he became "utterly broke" after BHS's "pension problem exploded" in 2015.
Mr Chappell controversially bought the retailer from tycoon Sir Philip Green that year, but the chain collapsed soon after in 2016.
It led to the loss of 11,000 jobs and a pension deficit of £571m.
In sentencing, the judge said Chappell had engaged in a "long and consistent course of conduct designed to cheat the revenue".
Earlier this year, Chappell was ordered to pay £9.5m into BHS pension schemes after losing an appeal.
Simon York, director of the Fraud Investigation Service at HMRC, said: "This was deliberate theft from UK citizens. Chappell was a high-profile businessman who knew tax had to be paid on his income and profits but chose not to do so.
"That's money that should have been supporting our vital public services instead of funding his lavish lifestyle."
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