Farmer jailed for £1.8m VAT fraud across three firms
© Adobe Stock A Hampshire farmer who attempted to defraud the government out of £1.8m in VAT claims has been jailed for two and a half years.
Jack Stillwell, 34, was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday 11 April.
Stillwell, of Green Lanes Farm, Forestside, Rowlands Castle, admitted to three counts of furnishing false VAT returns.
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The offences took place between November 2021 and July 2022.
The fraudulent activity was carried out across three Guildford-based companies: Roundstone Beef Ltd, Greenwell Farms Ltd and Greenwell Holdings Ltd.
The largest of the offences involved Roundstone Beef Ltd, for which Stillwell submitted 20 false VAT statements totalling £1,278,277.
A further £37,621 was falsely claimed through Greenwell Farms Ltd, while eight statements made on behalf of Greenwell Holdings Ltd amounted to £568,346.
Previous attention
Stillwell’s rise in the agricultural world had previously gained attention.
In 2014, Farmers Weekly featured him as a Harper Adams student using crowdfunding to develop his beef cattle herd in Hampshire.
He was looking to raise £4,000 to cover the rent for an additional 50 acres of pasture at £40/acre, to buy 10 calves at £150/head, and for sundry and feed costs.
He gained further recognition in 2018 when he was named Young Sussex Farmer of the Year, having built his own farm with support from the public.
He also appeared on BBC’s Countryfile, promoting his public fundraising methods.