A Lincolnshire businessman who is on trial accused of defrauding a Government agency has been cleared of one of the charges he faces.
Andrew Rendell-Read (61), of Weston Hills, denies two fraud offences and was accused of a third charge of possessing invoices for use in fraud.
But a jury at Lincoln Crown Court were directed to find Mr Rendell-Read not guilty of the third charge by the trial judge.
Judge Catarina Sjolin-Knight told the jury prosecutors had decided not to pursue the charge because there was no evidence that the invoices were to be used in future frauds.
Rendell-Read, of Broadgate, Weston Hills, still faces two fraud offences.
It is alleged Rendell-Read made false expenses claims relating to Innovate UK between Decembe 3,r 2015 and September 11, 2018.
Rendell-Read also denies abusing his position as a director of VBC Instrument Engineering by transferring funds from business expenses between February 10, 2016 and April 18, 2019.
The prosecution allege Rendell-Read extracted thousands of pound from Innovate UK in a joint fraud operated with his wife and business partner, Catherine McGreggor.
Lincoln Crown Court heard the vehicle for the fraud was a Wellingborough-based engineering company, VBC Instrument Engineering (VBC), of which the couple were both directors.
Prosecutors claim the ‘husband and wife’ defrauded Innovate UK during a funding project related to the automated manufacture of aerospace blades.
As part of the project Innovate UK reimbursed 41 per cent of the costs incurred by VBC, the court heard.
At the end of the prosecution case Rendell-Read chose not to go into the witness box to give evidence in his defence.
The jury heard Rendell-Read has been assessed by a psychologist and was found to have dyslexia.
But during a series of police interviews Rendell-Read denied he was responsible for making payments or submitting any of the invoices.
“I had no idea this was going on,” Rendell-Read insisted.
The trial continues.
