Fisherman jailed after HMRC’s trawl though records lands £40,000 fraud

David McHale, 55, of Newport-on-Tay, Fife, worked out of Peterhead.

McHale previously admitted three charges of failing to declare his income to the HMRC.

The total sum involved was more than £43,000, between 2005 and 2014.

McHale, 55, pleaded guilty to setting up a fraudulent scheme to carry out his fraud.

HE was living at a flat in King Street in Peterhead and working in Aberdeenshire when he committed the scam between 2005 and 2014.

The court previously heard that self-employed fishermen sharing the profits of a fishing boat were registered in a share scheme with the HMRC.

Investigating officers were able to check a fishing industry database and discovered that McHale had failed to register his earnings.

He admitted forming a fraudulent scheme to evade the payment of £13,089 of national insurance contributions between April 2005 and April 2014.

He also pleaded guilty to two separate charges of being involved in a fraudulent evasion of a total of £30,744 of income tax committed between the same dates.

He was sentenced to 14 months behind bars at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.