Dominic Chappell: Former BHS owner must pay total of £124k for breaking pensions law

Former BHS owner Dominic Chappell has been ordered to pay more than £124,000 for breaking pensions law when the retailer collapsed.

Mr Chappell, a former racing driver, was found guilty of not giving the pensions watchdog documents about the company's pension scheme after BHS went into administration in 2016.

The 52-year old was re-sentenced at Hove Crown Court on Friday after losing his appeal against his conviction earlier this year.

Judge Christine Henson QC, sentencing Mr Chappell, criticised him for showing a "complete lack of remorse" over his offences which represented a "blatant" refusal to comply with pension law.

She (Munich: SOQ.MU - news) ordered Chappell, of Blandford Forum, Dorset, to pay a £50,000 fine and £73,900 in court costs.

The Pensions Regulator (TPR) began investigating the company over concerns about two pension schemes representing 19,000 members of staff, soon after Mr Chappell bought BHS from billionaire Sir Philip Green in March 2015 for £1.

The retail chain went into administration the following April, with the loss of around 11,000 jobs, leaving a £571m pension deficit.

Sir Philip agreed to pay £363m towards the pension black hole , with pressure brought to bear on the retail tycoon as stories and images of a lavish lifestyle contrasted with BHS staff first losing their jobs and then retirement nest eggs.

Prosecutor Alex Stein argued Mr Chappell had shown a "persistent, deliberate and blatant" refusal to comply with pension law.

Mr Chappell had also not provided "full and frank" disclosure of his financial information ahead of sentencing, including in relation to a yacht called Maverick II and a property in Marbella, Spain, Mr Stein said.

Mr Chappell, who was representing himself because he could not afford the legal fees, denied owning the boat.

He said he had temporarily held the property in Spain in trust for his sick mother at no gain to himself.

He also denied having any "hidden assets" and said he did not have "cash available" to pay any fine.

Mr Chappell argued the collapse of BHS made its impossible to pass on the documents to the TRP because he was locked out of the office.

He claimed the purchase of BHS had relied on undertakings by Sir Philip and an audit by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

"I'm not a Philip Green sitting on a £100 million yacht in the south of France who writes a cheque for £350 million to make the problem go away," he said. "I'm a victim of the circumstances that came out of British Home Stores. I wish to god we never got involved in it."