Rainford man stole £500k from several companies which wife blew on luxury holidays to Spain

Hugh Black set up several businesses in order to submit fraudulent claims. Credit: PA images / Liverpool Echo

A "deceitful" man who stole more than £500,000 from a number of companies which his wife then spent on luxury holidays in Spain, has been jailed.Hugh Black, 58, from Rainford, set up several businesses installing energy efficient home improvements in order to submit fraudulent claims.McClean Energy, one of his fake companies, was used to submit most of the claims and was run by right-hand man Desmond Fazackerley, 59, from Failsworth, Manchester.On Tuesday, 8 March, Liverpool Crown Court was told the men falsified and altered invoices received from real companies to a total of £593,000.Black fraudulently transferred £350,000 out of his failing company, Ecogreen Renewables Ltd, before it was wound up, to avoid paying the company’s creditors.The money was transferred to another company, Phoenix Interiors, which he and his wife Helen Black, 51, were directors of.He later committed perjury by falsely claiming the money was moved because Ecogreen owed Phoenix Interiors a debt of twice the amount.

Desmond Fazackerley was Black's right-hand man and was sentenced to three years in jail. Credit: Liverpool Echo

The court was told how Helen Black was "fully aware" of the fraudulent activity and spent the money on luxury holidays to Spain.Hugh Black pleaded guilty to conspiracy to fraudulently evade VAT, two counts of fraud in anticipation of winding up, and knowingly making a false statement.

He was sentenced to five years in jailHis wife, Helen Black, pleaded guilty to acquiring criminal property and transferring criminal property and was sentenced to 14 months in jail, suspended for two years.

She was also ordered to repay £88,000 within three months or face a nine-month jail sentence.Desmond Fazackerley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to cheat the public revenue and sentenced to three years in jail.

Julie Barnes, Chief Investigator for the Insolvency Service, said: “Hugh Black knew that his company could not pay its debts and was about to enter insolvency, but this did not stop him fraudulently transferring thousands of pounds to his wife’s company."What’s worse, the cladding installer fabricated debts to kibosh the genuine claims of one of his creditors, worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, and his wife was fully aware of these deceitful activities.“The courts have rightfully recognised Hugh and Helen Black’s dishonesty and their sentences should serve as a stark warning to other directors that you have a clear duty to pay your debts and refrain from concocting false documents."