Exclusive:
Robert Kemp had been on the run since 2021 when he admitted to VAT fraud but failed to attend further court hearings, sparking a man hunt that has now finally ended
A crook who was on the run for nearly three years was finally caught – when he ordered a kebab to his hideout.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officers arrested Robert Kemp at a bedsit in Wales, after the hungry VAT fraudster stumped up £18 for a doner kebab. Intelligence developed from the kebab order led officers to the 56-year-old who was staying less than half a mile from the takeaway in the seaside town of Rhyl.
Kemp had been on the run since June 2021 after he admitted VAT fraud, but failed to attend further court hearings. A bench warrant was issued for his arrest. Kemp, along with his son Marcus, acted as a director of a firm that claimed to supply windows for new build homes.
They submitted a string of false invoices and fraudulently reclaimed £251,499 between May and November 2015. His son was jailed for two years and two months in September 2021.
Robert Kemp was jailed for two years and two months for VAT fraud at Swindon Crown Court today. He was also handed a two-month sentence for going on the run, and a 12-month sentence for an unrelated offence of affray.
Matthew Moignard, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: “This case shows that we don’t forget and we don’t give up. We can and do use a range of tools to track down fugitives and bring them back before the courts to face justice.
“Tax fraud is not a victimless crime. The tax we all pay helps to fund the public services we rely on. The majority pay the tax that is due, but a determined minority who refuse to play by the rules. We determined to create a level playing field for all and we encourage anyone with information about tax fraud or money laundering to report it online.”
