Sin Bin: Deaf Scots businessman jailed for 20 months over £80,000 sign firm fraud

Sheriff William Gilchrist at Stirling Sheriff Court described Andrew Thompson, who was born profoundly deaf, as a “highly-culpable” fraudster after the 51-year-old admitted using his business, Sign-now, to milk a government scheme intended to help the disabled into employment.

He also channeled tens of thousands of pounds through another company for the deaf, The Interpreting Agency, run by his deaf wife, into his own pocket, defrauding the so-called Access to Work Scheme between January and November 2011, the court had heard.

The con was only revealed following an anonymous tip-off to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), who investigated the allegations.

The scam involved Thomson applying for a grant claiming he needed British Sign Language interpreters for six hours a day of interpreting assistance and two hours a day translation, to assist him with correspondence and making and taking phone calls in the running of his business.

Freelance British Sign Language interpreters, charged at £44 an hour, were employed under the Access To Work Scheme through the Interpreting Agency Ltd, run by Thomson’s wife, Caroline, 52.

The Interpreting Agency Ltd submitted invoices in support of Thomson’s claims, which were paid by the DfW&P into a bank account in the name of The Interpreting Agency Ltd. The court heard that Thomson himself was a signatory of this bank account.

The extent of the fraud was unveiled by depute fiscal Sarah Lumsden, who told the court that there were not even enough British Sign Language interpreters physically available to cover the number of hours claimed.

Following the tip-off, the DfW&P began an investigation that saw the Thomsons’ home in New Carron, Falkirk, Sign-now’s offices in Grangemouth and the Interpreting Agency’s offices in Blythswood Square, Glasgow, searched.

Diaries and invoices were seized, and the freelance British Sign Language interpreters used by the Interpreting Agency Ltd were questioned.

The couple had originally been charged with a four-year scam to defraud taxpayers of nearly £250,000 by submitting bogus claims, stretching back to 2008.

However, Thompson’s wife’s plea of not guilty to involvement was accepted.

His company, whose clients had included the NHS, a charity for the deaf and Falkirk Council, was described as “a web-based means of enabling deaf people to communicate with the hearing world”.

In 2008 he had received the Stelios Award for Disabled Entrepreneurs and its £50,000 prize from easyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannau who said that Thomson had demonstrated “drive, creativity and determination”.

Defence advocate David Nicolson told the court that Sign-now had gotten into financial difficulty when software designed by Thomson was copied by competitors and market share was diluted.

He said since the fraud came to light Thomson had been ostracised, isolated and shunned in the deaf world. Sign-now closed in 2012 and The Interpreting Agency also shut down.

Jailing Thomson, Sheriff Gilchrist said: “The amount defrauded was substantial and this amount was defrauded in the context of the accused and his company already receiving generous financial support from the taxpayer.

“In the circumstances I am satisfied that a custodial sentence is the only appropriate sentence.”

A confiscation hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act has been set for June 22.