A Chester curry house owner locked up for evading £93,000 in VAT has had his jail term cut by top judges.

Ataur Rahman Hashim, of Birch Mews, Bolton, was locked up for two years at Chester Crown Court on March 2.

The 41-year-old was made bankrupt in 2003 because of a VAT debt, Lord Justice Bean told London’s Appeal Court.

But he continued his involvement in running the Step in India restaurant in Foregate Street where VAT went unpaid between 2012 and 2017.

Hashim, who had no previous convictions, admitted fraudulent evasion of VAT.

He said he had wanted a relative, who was a chef in the restaurant, to take over the business.

But the ‘business details remained in his name’ and, despite working elsewhere, he remained involved to some extent.

The turnover of the restaurant had increased to the extent that it was above the threshold at which VAT became payable.

Hashim knew that the business was not registered for VAT and that no VAT was being paid.

He accepted it was his duty to ensure VAT liabilities were met and that his ‘failure to discharge that duty was deliberate and dishonest’.

The judge who jailed him said the ‘fraud was deliberate and dishonest and took place over a number of years’.

Ben Rich, for Hashim, argued his jail term was too tough and should have been suspended.

His wife ‘is not in the best of health’, his son has a complex medical problem and his 14-year-old daughter has ADHD and learning difficulties.

Lord Justice Bean, sitting with two other judges, said the Crown Court judge was ‘entitled’ to send Hashim to prison immediately.

But he added that ‘there is force in Mr Rich’s submissions’ that the sentence was too tough.

His personal mitigation ‘should have led to a greater reduction’ in his punishment.

The court reduced Hashim’s jail term from two years to 18 months.