Last farming brother sentenced in Co Armagh VAT fraud case

A Co Armagh man, the last of three farming brothers to be prosecuted for their roles in a £140,000 VAT repayment fraud, has been sentenced after an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
By The Newsroom
Published 28th Jun 2017, 15:06 BST
Updated 12th Sep 2017, 11:56 BST

Ronald John Sinclair Halliday, 52, a farmer from Whitecross, played a central role in the fraud by forging invoices showing the purchase or hire of supplies and equipment, which allowed his brothers to make fraudulent repayment claims. HMRC began investigating Halliday and his brothers, Pastor Gordon William Barrie Halliday from Mountnorris and Richard Jonathan Kris Halliday from Keady, in 2013.

The businesses and individuals, whose names were used on the falsified documents, confirmed the invoices were false and handwriting analysis, by the Forensic Science Agency of Northern Ireland, concluded that it was likely some were written by Ronald Halliday.

Ronald Halliday was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months when he appeared at Newry Crown Court on today (Wednesday 28 June). Pastor Gordon William Barrie Halliday and Richard Jonathan Kris Halliday pleaded guilty to making fraudulent VAT repayments and were sentenced at Newry Crown Court on 21 June 2017.

Related topics:HM Revenue and Customs