AN unqualified accountant who conspired to steal £2.5m from the public purse was told he lived in a 'fantasy world' as he was jailed for eight years.

John Warman drove a £165,000 Bentley Arnage and pretended he had substantial capital in the bank.

He connived with his client, property tycoon Simon Fields, to manipulate tax returns to evade paying tax and pocket the proceeds.

Judge Andrew Hamilton sentenced 70-year-old Warman, of West Bridgford, at Derby Crown Court yesterday. He told Warman, who was self-employed, that he was simply interested in using his clients to feather his own nest.

He said: "You cleverly manipulated the finances of clients in such a way that you provided yourself with a very comfortable lifestyle."

He said Warman could not possibly have afforded the running costs of the Bentley on his income.

"You ran it because you lived in this fantasy world. You took in everybody you ever dealt with."

He was convicted of 29 charges after a three-month trial ending in July.

Simon Fields, 34, of Trowell Road, Wollaton, pleaded guilty to one count of cheating the revenue to the tune of £392,000 by manipulating his business accounts.

He was found guilty of one charge of conspiracy to cheat the revenue.

Warman was found guilty of the same charge and 28 others – 14 of cheating the tax man and 14 of obtaining money by deception.

Warman and Fields conspired to understate the profits from Fields' property empire, and that of his father, Roger Fields, which he also managed, stealing £1.5m due in tax.

Roger Fields, 65, of Burnwood Drive, Wollaton, was found not guilty of any involvement in the crimes.

Simon Fields provided information to Warman so he could prepare the false accounts to be submitted to HM Revenue & Customs.

On paper these showed a "reduced income" and "increased expenditure" by understating the amount received for renting out the properties, overstating the interest paid on loans and the amount paid for repairs and renewals.

Both men knew the accounts were false, lying about the level of profit that had been made over a eight-year period from April, 1996, to April, 2004.

In a twist to the fraud, Warman acted alone in manipulating the accounts for a second time, stealing more than £1m by further corrupting the business accounts of Roger Fields.

Warman also stole £80,000 from three other Nottingham businesses – a farmer, a firm of solicitors and a transport company – who were all duped.

In mitigation, the court heard Warman's reputation was now "shot to pieces" and he had lost everything.

Simon Fields will be sentenced on November 9 at Nottingham Crown Court.

rebecca.sherdley@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk