Sherrards Secures Landmark Acquittal in Multi-Million Pound HMRC Fraud Case

25th March 2025 | Thalia Weston | Business Crime, Fraud, Dispute Resolution

Sherrards Solicitors is pleased to announce its successful defence of the lead defendant in an HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) multi-million-pound VAT fraud prosecution that concerned former senior executives of a global media company.

Sherrards acted for the former Global COO, who was the First Defendant. Senior Consultant to Sherrards Fraud and Business Crime Team, Simon Morgan, headed the defence team, alongside Aleksandra Rychlewska.

Following a 9-year investigation by HMRC’s Offshore Corporate & Wealthy Division, criminal proceedings were commenced in early 2023 by the specialist division of the CPS, the Serious Economic Organised Crime and International Directorate (SEOCID). The trial commenced in February 2025 at Southwark Crown Court.

As a result of the proactive and exhaustive preparation carried out by Sherrards, instructing counsel from Libertas Chambers, the Crown offered no evidence after 6 weeks into a trial that was due to last 4 months, after accepting failures in the disclosure process.

Sherrards secured not only the acquittal of its own client, but the collapse of the entire case resulting in the acquittal of the other 5 defendants. Thanks are extended to Simon Csoka KC and Roxanne Morrell, of counsel who were retained by Sherrards, for their expertise and assistance in achieving this extraordinary result.