Deliberately putting false information on invoices has cost a Weston Hills gardener £635 in court.
Andrew Surman did gardening work at the homes of two people but agreed to state on 12 invoices totalling £6,760 that it was carried out at their workplace.
The offence came to light as police investigated an alleged £800,000 fraud at VBC Instrument Engineering concerning a government grant, Boston Magistrates’ Court was told on Wednesday.
Surman was not involved in that, said prosecutor Paul Wood, but invoices from his company Hollyoak Landscapes Ltd which he provided to police were found to contain the forgery offence.
“The gardening work was not at VBCIE but at the domestic dwellings of two people being investigated for fraud,” said Mr Wood, who added that the invoices could have been used to support fraudulent activity.
A message from Surman in December 2016 read: “By the way, I can make any invoices out to whomever you want.”
Mr Wood told the bench that this indicated the defendant knew his action could lead to “nefarious” use but the CPS was not in a position to prove that he benefited financially.
Surman, who had no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to making a false instrument with intent it be accepted as genuine between June 30, 2016 and February 20, 2020.
Mark Hudson, mitigating, said: “He did work for these particular people and charged them quite properly. The work he did, he got paid for.”
He said Surman was asked to put the business address on invoices and as he had built up a
personal relationship with them too, he didn’t think it would do any harm.
“It was reckless and foolish and he says ‘I knew it wasn’t right,’” Mr Hudson added.
Surman, of Broadgate, was fined £500 and ordered to pay £85 costs and £50 victim surcharge.
