A SOLICITOR who failed to pay the Value Added Tax (VAT) on his services for more than three years has blamed the recession.

Worcester Magistrates Court was told that Martyn Slocombe, aged 61, owed Her Majesty’s Revenues and Customs (HMRC) £195,000 in unpaid VAT, penalties and interest.

Slocombe admitted nine charges of supplying goods and services without giving a security of £49,547 as ordered and asked for 76 other similar offences to be taken into account.

Laura Culley, prosecuting for the CPS incorporating the revenues and customs prosecution office, said Slocombe, of Avenue Road, Malvern, was ordered to pay the security in 2009 after poor compliance with VAT rules and failure to pay VAT since 2007.

HMRC estimated he owed £195,000 including £150,000 of unpaid VAT and the rest in penalties and interest.

He was prosecuted after failing to pay the security and continuing to trade.

Slocombe, who was representing himself, told the court that he had been a sole practitioner for 10 years but the recession had affected his business.

He told district judge Bruce Morgan he believed the figure that he owed was closer to £150,000.

However, Mr Morgan replied: “This is really the most flagrant taking of public money for private use.”

He asked Slocombe why he had not paid the security, saying: “That’s £1,000 a week of public money you are collecting and you are spending, using it subside your practice.”

Slocombe told the court he did not own his own house and had not been able to borrow the money from a bank.

He added: “I’ve got no money myself.

“I’ve tried to keep the business running.”

Slocombe, who had no previous convictions, also told the court he had used the money to pay his five staff after the amount of work coming into the practice began to dwindle. However, Mr Morgan said: “Don’t you make staff redundant in that situation?

“You can’t do that with public money.”

When asked whether his professional body would take action against him, Slocombe replied: “I suspect my future is in doubt.”

Slocombe was fined £2,500 and ordered to pay compensation to HMRC of £7,870.88.

He was also told to pay £200 costs and £15 victim surcharge. The court was told HMRC will pursue the rest of the £195,000 through the civil courts.