Top tax barrister Robert Venables KC, 77, of Old Square Tax Chambers is currently facing two counts of dishonestly cheating the public revenue in active criminal proceedings before Southwark Crown Court.
The existence of the charges were first revealed by Dan Neidle, of Tax Policy Associates, in a report headed “Robert Venables, senior tax KC, is being prosecuted by HMRC for tax evasion“.
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Reporting by Daniel Cloake
For the first time exact details of the underlying indictment, obtained exclusively by the mouseinthecourt, can be revealed following a recent pre-trial hearing.
On Count 1, the Defendant is charged with cheating the public revenue contrary to
common law. The particulars of the offence are:
That between the 1st January 2013 and 30th November 2022 Robert Venables dishonestly cheated the Commissioners of His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) of income tax by:
(i) submitting self-assessment tax returns for tax years 2014/2015 to 2020/2021 which falsely declared the amount of his income for taxation purposes;
(ii) depriving HMRC of revenue which he knew HMRC was entitled to.
On Count 2, the Defendant is charged with cheating the public revenue contrary to
common law. The particulars of the offence are:
That between the 1st January 2018 and the 30th November 2022 separately from Count 1, and in respect of money he received from Citadel Ltd., Robert Venables dishonestly cheated the Commissioners of His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs of income tax by:
(i) submitting a self-assessment tax return in which he falsely declared the amount of his
income for taxation purposes;
(ii) depriving HMRC of revenue which he knew HMRC was entitled to.
In a statement issued to Tax Policy Associates by Old Square Tax Chambers it is said that “The charges are denied… Mr Venables is confident that he has paid all tax lawfully due“.
At the pre-trial hearing on 22nd and 23rd October 2024 the Crown Prosecution Service were represented by John Machell KC with barristers Michael Hick, James Norman, and Marika Lemos.
The defendant was represented by Kevin Prosser KC and Stuart Biggs (instructed by Kingsley Napley LLP).
A further pre-trial hearing is expected to take place in May 2025.
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