A tax cheat and criminal kingpin from Newcastle has been issued with a ‘super crime ASBO’ and ordered to pay back in excess of £250,000 of his ill-gotten gains following a High Court ruling.
Fifty--year-old John Henry Sayers failed to pay taxes for four years while managing a network of pubs in the North East and is said to have benefitted by almost £900,000 during that period. He has now been told to settle a third of that six-figure sum before the end of the year or face a two-year stint in jail.
London's Woolwich Crown Court heard on Wednesday that Sayers had finally admitted his involvement in the crimes after submitting to a SCOP or “super ASBO for crime barons” issued against him by Northumbria police, who will now be able to look at his accounts in detail and limit his movement under 10 stringent restrictions.
Northumbria Police Det Supt Dave Byrne welcomed the news following a 10-year investigation. He added: “This sends a clear message to those who seek to profit from crime that not only will they be identified and put before the courts, but we will continue to use powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act to seek to take away the criminal gain.”
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