LONDON, June 19 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:
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Steven Brookes fraudulently claimed six Covid business loans worth £300,000 by making applications in his wife's nameand inflating turnover figures
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Brookes spentsignificant sumson a Disneyland trip, private school fees, an Audi, personalised numberplatesand a family holiday to Tenerife
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The 40-year-old had been banned as a company directorsince 2010 and used his wife's name on the applicationsto conceal his involvement throughout the entire period of the fraud
Abannedcompanydirectorwho spent £300,000 of Covid support on family holidays, private school fees, and other personal spending has been jailed.
Steven Brookes used funds from six fraudulently obtained Bounce Back Loans to pay for a trip to Disneyland,a holiday rental in Tenerife, and an Audi with personalised number plates for his wife.
The 40-year-oldalso paid £7,000 in fees for his daughter to attendan independent day and boarding schoolin Devon.
Bounce Back Loans were meant to provide economic benefit to his five businessesduring thepandemic,but Brookes treated them as a personal fund, spending sums at florists, lingerie retailers and on paint to decorate his rental property.
Multiple transfers werealsomade into the joint expenses account Brookes held with his wife.
Brookesapplied for the loansin his wife's name, without her knowledge, and openedcompany bank accounts in her name to receive the funds.
He also inflated or fabricated the turnover figures used to support theapplications andmade a second loan application for the same company when he was only entitled to one.
All ofthe applications were made while Brookes was disqualified as a company director, using his wife's identity to conceal his involvement.
Brookes, of Victoria Road, Bude, Cornwall, wasjailed forthree yearsand banned as a director for 10 yearswhen he appeared at Southwark Crown Court onThursday 18June,with the judge describing his actions as 'calculated and greedy'.
He had pleaded guilty to 11 charges of fraud and acting as a director while disqualified at the same court last November.
David Snasdell,Chief Investigatorat the Insolvency Service, said:
Steven Brookescynically hid behind his wife's identity tosteal £300,000 in Covid support funds.
Bounce Back Loans were not a personal bank account for company directors to useon paying for holidays, schoolfeesand other luxury items. Brookes brokealmost everyrule going. Hesubmittedfalse turnover figures, secured two loans when companies were only allowed one, and criminally misused the funds.
He did all this while ignoring a director ban which had been in place for a decade at the time of his fraudulentactions.
The Insolvency Service has relentlessly pursued Covid fraudsters since the pandemic. We are equally determined to enforce director bans - and hold those who wilfully break them to account.
Brookes made six Bounce Back Loan applications across five companiesbetween May and October 2020.In each case, he made the application in his wife's name without her knowledge, having been disqualified as a company director for 11 years in April 2010 following a conviction for stealing mobile phones.
His first application was fora £50,000 loan for Blind Pig Media Limited.Brookes declaredthe company's turnover as £218,865 to obtain themaximumamount when its actual turnover was £119,215.
Funds from the loan were used for personal spending,including the Disneyland trip and school fees.
Just weeks later, Brookes applied for a second £50,000 loan for the same company. Businesses were only entitled to one Bounce Back Loan each. He falsely declared this was his first application.
Money from this loan was spent at a florist, at lingerie retailer Boux Avenue,and transferred into the couple's joint expenses account.
Brookes' third fraudulent applicationin September 2020was for another £50,000 loan, this time forBPG Management Limited.
In the application, Brookes declared a turnover of £450,000. The company had never traded and had no accounts.
The full £50,000 was transferred to Blind Pig Media Limited, where it was used for personal spending including a £7,800 Audi bought for his wife, personalised number plates costing over £4,700, £1,200 spent on paint to decorate his rental property, and a further £1,000 transferred to the couple's joint expenses account.
Later that month, Brookes secured a £50,000 loan for Brookes Consultancy Limited, declaring a turnover of £350,000. Again, the company had never traded and had no accounts. The full loan was transferred to Blind Pig Media Limited.
Brookes made a fifth application for The Pig Box Limited, declaring a turnover of £750,000 despite the companyagainnever having traded.
The full £50,000 was transferred to Blind Pig Media Limited and used for personal spending, including £640 at luxury retailer Jo Malone and £1,000 paid to his wife's business.
Brookes' final fraudulent application came in October 2020. He obtaineda £50,000 loan for The Blind Pig Group Limited, this time declaring a turnover of £800,000.
In a repeat of some of hispreviousapplications,the company had nevertradedand the full loan amount was transferred to Blind Pig Media Limited.
Money was again used for personal spending,including £5,000 paid to a Tenerife holiday rental company and £3,439 on a home energy bill.
Only £7,494hasbeen repaidof the £300,000 Brookesstole from the scheme.
The Insolvency Service is seeking to recover the fraudulently obtained funds under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
Further information
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Steven Brookes is of Victoria Road, Bude, Cornwall. His date of birth is 30 August 1985
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Blind Pig Media Limited(company number 10511816)
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BPG Management Limited(company number 11761711)
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Brookes Consultancy Limited(company number10408270)
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The Pig Box Limited(company number 10697553)
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The Blind Pig Group Limited(company number10673999)
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Read more about the Bounce Back Loan Scheme and the action the Insolvency Service can take if it finds misconduct
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Directors can find information about their obligations and responsibilities at theInsolvency Service's Director Information Hub
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Report disqualified directorssuch asSteven Brookes who are breaching their bans to Crimestoppersanonymously on 0800 555111 orvisit their website
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Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct.
About us
The Insolvency Service is a government agency that helps to deliver economic confidence by supporting those in financial distress, tackling financial wrongdoing and maximising returns to creditors.
The Insolvency Service is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department for Business and Trade.
Read more about what we do
Press Office
Journalists with enquiries can call the Insolvency Service Press Office on 0303 003 1743 or email press.office@insolvency.gov.uk (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).
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