A former Top Gear mechanic has been jailed for aiding a father and son duo to flee the UK before facing trial in a massive VAT scam. Stephen Howard, from Chilton, helped Jamie and Brian Colwell escape to Spain after a £1 million tax fraud was uncovered by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
Helping Tax Cheats on the Run
Howard arranged travel tickets and rented a van to get the Colwells out of the country before their court date. Evidence showed he drove them through France to a hidden villa in Benidorm.
- He drove Jamie Colwell’s Porsche through the Eurotunnel to France
- Purchased ferry tickets for Brian Colwell from Portsmouth to Caen
- Rented a DAF box van, transporting the Colwells’ furniture to their Spanish hideout
- Returned alone to the UK in the van after the escape
HMRC discovered receipts, travel itineraries, and bank statements linking Howard directly to the escape plan. A suspicious £2,900 deposit was made into his account during the operation.
Convicted of Perverting the Course of Justice
Howard denied any knowledge of the fraud but was convicted at Winchester Crown Court on 14 March of perverting the course of justice. On Friday 12 April, Salisbury Crown Court sentenced him to 15 months behind bars.
HMRC used data from Howard’s phone to track the Colwells to their Benidorm villa. They were arrested in May 2018.
The Colwells’ £1 Million VAT Scam
The father and son had fraudulently claimed nearly £1 million in VAT repayments, falsely claiming to have spent £14 million on new property developments. The stolen cash funded luxury goods like a speedboat, high-end cars, and a swanky Dorset rental in Sandbanks.
After being extradited back to the UK, Jamie Colwell was handed a 5-year, 3-month prison sentence. Brian received 2 years and 8 months. Both got an extra six months for breaching bail.
This case highlights ruthless tax cheats trying to slip under the radar — and the former TV mechanic who thought he could get away with helping them.
