A JUDGE has given two double glazing salesmen suspended prison sentences for failing to pay tax while they worked on a self-employed basis for Bradford-based Safestyle.

Leeds Crown Court heard today between April 2007 and April last year Wesley Roetteis, 33, avoided paying £128,000 in income tax to HM Customs and Revenue.

Like Roetteis, Ashfaq Hussain, 40, had also initially paid national insurance and tax under a PAYE scheme but then became self-employed.

Hannah Lynch, prosecuting, told the court between 2008 and 2012 Hussain failed to pay about £31,000 in tax and also claimed £38,000 more in tax credits than he would have been entitled to.

Both men said they only realised in 2011 they should be making tax returns but had not then registered to do so.

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Christopher Moran, for Hussain, said he was married with four children and was of previous good character.

“There came a time when he knew he should be paying income tax but for want of a better phrase just buried his head in the sand.”

He was shocked when he discovered the figures involved and had been saving up since to settle his debt. He helped look after his parents and attended the local mosque.

Oliver Jarvis, for Roettis, said working for Safestyle was the only job he had known and “he still works six days a week”.

He accepted it was his own naivety in not checking the tax position and problems in handling money because of gambling which had placed him in such a position, but had now got an accountant to sort the position and was making regular repayments.

He said Roettis used any spare time on a Sunday to drive one son around the country who had just signed youth papers with Bradford City and another son who was also playing football.

Roetteis, 33, of Kitson Street, Shipley, admitted three charges of fraudulently evading income tax and was sentenced to 20 months in prison suspended for two years with 240 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay £700 costs.

Hussain, 40, of Fairbank Road, Girlington, Bradford admitted five charges of fraudulent evasion of income tax and five of obtaining fraudulent tax credit payments.

He was also sentenced to a total of 20 months in prison suspended for two years with 240 hours unpaid work. He was ordered to pay £700 costs and £14,300 in compensation from the money he has saved.

Judge Rodney Jameson QC said two other men had already received suspended sentences for similar tax offences and as in their case he considered the prospect of recovering all the money concerned an important factor in not imposing immediate jail terms.

After the case, Jo Tyler, assistant director, Criminal Investigation, HMRC, said: “It was made very clear to both of these men that it was entirely up to them to ensure they were properly registered to pay tax. Unfortunately for them, they have found out the hard way that pleading ignorance is simply not an excuse.

“HMRC takes this type of evasion very seriously, and we will always look to prosecute those who are suspected of trying to hide their income from us. It’s the British taxpayer who misses out the most – tax that Roetteis and Hussain should have paid would have helped fund public services."