Co Antrim painter who fraudulently applied for £50k Covid loan sentenced

A Co Antrim painter who fraudulently applied for a £50,000 Covid-19 bounce back loan in the name of his late father was today (Thursday) handed a two-year suspended sentence.

Gareth Taylor, 37 and of Whitewell Drive, Newtownabbey, pleaded guilty to a single charge of fraud by false representation. Belfast Crown Court heard that on March 24, 2021, police received a report from the Bank of Ireland over a £50,000 fraud.

Prosecution barrister Kate McKay said the fraud arose when an application was made by F T Contracts (NI) Ltd for a bounce back business loan available through a government scheme post the Coronavirus pandemic.

“The owner of the account to which the loan was to be paid was Mr Francis Taylor, date of birth May 29, 1960,” said Mrs McKay.

“He was deemed a suitable candidate and the loan was approved. Prior to the money being deposited in the account, a discrepancy was noticed in the address given. The application came from 102 Eglantine Avenue, Belfast while the business address was 2 Whitewell Parade in Belfast.

“The bank spoke to a person purporting to be the loan applicant Francis Taylor on May 20, 2020. It was discovered at that stage Francis Taylor was deceased, having passed away some six months earlier.”

The court heard the £50,000 loan was deposited into F T Contracts account on June 2, 2020, following the receipt of an electronic signature from Francis Taylor “which was clearly done by this defendant”.

The defendant subsequently moved the money from F T Contracts account to two accounts held in his name with £10,000 deposited in Santander and £40,000 lodged with online Starling Bank.

“Bank of Ireland, using the phone number supplied on the loan application, spoke to the defendant on March 16, 2021, who said his father had passed away three months ago when in fact had died 16 months ago,” said the prosecutor.

“This defendant had misled the bank about the date of his father’s death. The bank would not have approved the loan if they had known the correct circumstances.”

A pre-sentence report said Taylor had a previous conviction for conspiracy to cheat the public revenue in February 2022.

Defence barrister Caitriona Keenan said the defendant had “at the age of 15 was scouted by Nottingham Forest Football Club and moved to England where he became a professional footballer and later went on to the United States where he was also a professional footballer”.

She said the father-of-three later returned home and started to work with his dad in his painting and decorating business.

“When his father passed away in November 2019, he took over the business and found it to be in a ‘chaotic state and a financial mess with up to £300,000 owed to subcontractors’,” said Ms Keenan.

“Then Covid came and out of panic and sheer desperation he went on to do what he describes as a ‘momentary lapse of judgement’ and applied for this bounce back loan. He advises that it was only a short term solution to make ends meet and intended paying the money back.”

She said he had come to court with £5,000 towards paying off the five-year loan which ends in June 2026. Judge Donna McColgan KC said that if the defendant failed to repay all of the £50,000 by June 2026, Bank of Ireland would issue civil proceedings to recoup the remaining monies outstanding.

“The defendant should continue to make all efforts possible to repay that loan even if it is only small amounts,” said Judge McColgan.

The judge imposed a two year sentence suspended for three years, warning Taylor: “If any offence is committed in the next three years you will go into custody for two years.”

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