A “TRUSTED” barrister has been jailed after lying about his earning in a £100,000 tax scam.

Christopher Wilkins, from Chichester, avoided paying £98,732 in tax by inflating his expenses during a five-year-period

During that time, the 57-year-old earned £740,000, according to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.

Wilkins was arrested in May 2017 and said he was “behind on his VAT payments".

After an investigation, it was found that Wilkins had lied about his income to reduce the amount of tax he paid.

The Argus: Christopher Wilkins, from Chichester, stole £98,732 in tax by inflating his expenses Christopher Wilkins, from Chichester, stole £98,732 in tax by inflating his expenses

He was charged in February 2020 for fraudulently evading VAT between March 2012 and June 2017.

He pleaded guilty at Taunton Crown Court and was sentenced to 21 months in prison.

HMRC Fraud Investigation Service Assistant Director Zoe Ellerbeck said: “As a trusted barrister, Christopher Wilkins should have known better than to try and cheat the system.

“Nobody is above the law and tax fraud is not a victimless crime. People who defraud HMRC are stealing from their community by taking money away from hospitals, schools, and other vital public services.

“We are committed to tackling criminals whose tax crime robs our vital public services of much-needed funds. Anyone with information about tax fraud should report it to HMRC online.”