A CHIPPENHAM man who conned his ex-partner and HMRC has been sentenced to more than five years' imprisonment today (18/10).
Oliver Cooper, 33, previously of Assart Way, Chippenham, split up from his partner in May 2022. He was arrested and charged later that year when it emerged he had fraudulently altered documents by adding digital signatures to documents to change the equity held in the house he and his ex-partner jointly owned, causing a financial loss of tens of thousands for his ex.
Police say Cooper continued to manipulate and control his former partner through delays in the criminal and civil court processes for more than two years. He was sentenced to two years and nine months today at Swindon Crown Court having previously pleaded guilty in May 2023.
Acting Detective Sergeant Martyn Powell from the South Volume Crime Team said: “Financial abuse is a form of domestic violence and is used to help the perpetrators control and manipulate the victim, leaving them unable to move on, to escape the abuse or at risk of other types of control.
“The police are fully equipped to investigate and identify methods of financial abuse and I hope that the sentence today gives courage to urge all victims of domestic violence, no matter the form it comes in, to come forward and seek support from us.”
On top of these charges, Cooper was also subject to a criminal HM Revenue and Customers (HMRC) investigation into fraudulent VAT claims that were submitted by Cooper on behalf of his cleaning company business between July 2019 and March 2022.
Cooper pleaded guilty to a £200,000 VAT fraud and a money laundering offence at Swindon Crown Court on May 31, 2024.
He also admitted forgery offences which included the creation of false documents, and failed attempts to gain access to his bank accounts that had been frozen by HMRC.
He was also sentenced to two-years-and-nine-months’ imprisonment for these offences, giving a total sentence of five-and-a-half years.
Matt Moignard, Operational Lead in HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, said: “The vast majority pay the tax that’s due, but fraudsters like Cooper think they can lie, cheat, and steal.
“We’re determined to create a level playing field for all and this shows how we work closely with our law enforcement partners to bring tax fraudsters to justice.
“Such crimes have real consequences for the public services we all rely on and we encourage anyone with information about any type of tax fraud or money laundering to report it online.”
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