A WORCESTERSHIRE businessman jailed for dodging £79,000 in taxes by mixing motor fuels has won the first stage of a bid to have his sentence cut.

Charnjit Randhawa, of Main Road, Hallow, near Worcester, was locked up for two years at Birmingham Crown Court in March after he admitted fraudulently evading duty.

The 51-year-old, of Main Road, Hallow, bought cheaper fuels – which were not taxed – and mixed them with diesel.

He then sold the fuels through his firm, GR Fuels, and profited from the extra fuel duty.

His crime came to light after tests found kerosene in the petrol tank of a taxi, which had used a station owned by Randhawa to fill up.

Speaking after his sentencing, Peter McDermott, assistant director of the Fraud Investigation Service at Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, said: "Randhawa not only defrauded taxpayers but he conned honest customers, who thought they were buying legitimate fuel.

But Randhawa is now challenging his jail term at the Court of Appeal, in London, where he has been given the go ahead for a full hearing.

His lawyers argued the judge didn't take enough account of his claims – which were accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service – that he only committed the fraud because threats were made against him and his family.

Sir Wyn Williams, sitting with Lord Justice Irwin and Judge Mark Brown, said Randhawa's complaints were "at least arguable" and said a transcript of his sentencing at the crown court should now be made available.

The judge added: "It is, we consider, arguable that insufficent weight was given."

No date was given for the hearing of Randhawa full appeal.