A Tassagh man today (Monday) admitted to VAT fraud amounting to more than £600,000.
Joseph Thomas Cassidy, 50, had been due to go on trial at Newry Crown Court but instead, defence counsel Con O’Neill asked for two of the eight charges to be put to him again.
Cassidy, from the Killyfaddy Road, entered guilty pleas to being “knowingly concerned in, or in the taking of steps with a view to, the fraudulent evasion of VAT” that resulted in an overpayment of £610,337 and transferring criminal property from the account of Anne Cassidy with both offences committed on unknown dates between 1 July 2011 and 9 July 2015.
Following his confessions, prosecuting counsel Geraldine McCullough asked for the remaining seven charges to be “left on the books”.
At an earlier hearing Anne Cassidy (51), from Drumarg Park in Armagh, admitted similar charges.
Freeing Joseph Cassidy on bail today, Judge Gordon Kerr QC adjourned passing sentence until a pre-sentence report had been completed and lodged with the court.
Both Cassidy’s will be sentenced on 21 November and confiscation proceedings were also adjourned to that date.
