Man who claimed too much Covid support sentenced

An event organiser who claimed more Covid support than his company was entitled to has been sentenced for fraud.

William Blenkarn, from Beaconsfield, secured two loans worth £50,000 each for his Buckinghamshire-based company: MJB Events Limited.

The 45-year-old claimed he didn't know he was not entitled to a second bounce-back loan.

Aylesbury Crown Court sentenced Blenkarn, who now lives in Spain, to two years in prison, suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

According to The Insolvency Service, in May 2020, Blenkarn applied to two different banks for the loans, and ticked an online declaration to certify he had only made one application.

A month later, he transferred £41,000 of the loan to a second business, MJB Entertainment Group Ltd, which he had set up weeks before.

MJB Events account was then overdrawn by about £25,000 when liquidators were appointed in June 2021, depriving creditors of the funds.

The government agency said Blenkarn breached his duties as a director by failing to deliver accounting records for MJB Events to the liquidator.

An effort will be made by the Insolvency Service to recover the fraudulently obtained funds.

Blenkarn was convicted of dishonestly failing to disclose information to make a gain, failing to reveal a property to a liquidator, and removing property before a company wound up.

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