A Court has heard how a Keighley couple tried to prop up their ailing sandwich business by selling customers bootleg alcohol and tobacco.

Martin Wroot, 48, was jailed for four months and his 40-year-old wife Dianne was ordered to do 150 hours of community service. Both had admitted being involved in evading duty estimated at £23,000.

In November last year Customs and Excise officers made test purchases of tobacco and cigarettes from Di's Place at Ingrow Bridge. The following month they raided the shop and the couple's home in Bracken Bank Avenue.

Prosecutor Mushtaq Khok-har told Bradford Crown Court that officers seized large quantities of cigarettes, hand-rolling tobacco and spirits from the shop, the couple's home and from two vans they used as part of the sandwich business.

On Wednesday the couple, who had no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to being knowingly concerned in dealing in dutiable goods with intent to defraud. They also admitted possessing dutiable goods with intent including more than 18,000 cigarettes, 13 kilograms of hand-rolling tobacco and 68 litres of spirits.

"It appears the defendants sold the excise goods both from the sandwich shop and from the two sandwich vans," said Mr Khokhar.

After his arrest Wroot told police he bought his stock of goods from a man who called at the shop once or twice a week.

Barrister David McGonigal, for the couple, said the business suffered financial difficulties because of Martin Wroot's ill health and the closure of large firms in the area. He said the lack of income was the motivating factor when temptation was offered to them by somebody who regularly came into the sandwich shop.

Mr McGonigal said they began by selling cigarettes and tobacco from their home. He estimated that during the four months of their offending they made a profit of £2,500-£3,000.

He said neither of his clients were really aware of the seriousness of what they were involved in.

Recorder Robert Smith described it as a sad case involving defendants who had a lifetime of honest conduct and hard work behind them. He conceded that the sentences he had imposed were lenient.

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