Man who hadn’t paid council tax ordered to pay back £2,400

A man who has not paid council tax for the past two years has been ordered to pay it back and given a suspended prison sentence.

Simon Trevorrow, of Bridwell Road, Plymouth was given a 45 day suspended sentence by Plymouth Magistrates on Friday 30 September on the grounds that he pays the debt  of £2,400 in full at the rate of £100 per month, with the first payment to be made within 28 days.

Councillor Ian Darcy, Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “This sends a clear message that everyone should pay their fair share of council tax and it is not acceptable to think that you can just not pay thousands of pounds worth of tax.

“During these times of austerity in particular, when budgets are tight and councils are having to make difficult decisions about cutting services, it is more important than ever that people that can pay, do pay, and that the burden of paying for local services is evenly spread.”

Three other outstanding cases of non-payment of council tax have been bailed to appear at court until 25 October 2016.