A MAN who fabricated fake quotes to allow customers to rake in thousands of pounds in grants has avoided a prison sentence.

Laurence Fisk was working at Cold Control, in Ropley, near Alresford, when he became involved in a scam to submit applications for grants from Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

In 2017, the 62-year-old was approached by clients to make fake quotes in the names of other companies. His business would then get the work at a lower rate, but the customers would submit the fabricated quotes - which were always at a higher rate - to the Rural Payments Agency, who handled the funding for Defra, Winchester Crown Court was told on April 1.

Tom Wilkins, prosecuting, said: “It is submitted that the Rural Payments Agency would have only paid a proportion of the project.”

The court was told that Fisk never submitted an application for funds, and Mr Wilkins added: “The RPA scrutinised the application and in fact there were no public funds paid out.” If the applications were approved the grants would have been in the region of £114,000.

Fisk, of Southways, Stubbington, was able to make up the quotes as the companies on those had previously tendered for work with his firm.

In mitigation, Nicholas Cotter said that Fisk was a person of good character and only “engaged in this wrongdoing to cause shortcuts”.

Mr Cotter said: “The matter started in 2017 2018, there was a considerable period before my client was charged. He made full admissions or semi full admissions in relation to the quotations.”

He previously pleaded guilty to three counts of supplying a quote intending it to be used to commit, or assist in the commission of, fraud.

Following the offences Fisk’s “health deteriorated and throughout this period he has been struggling with cancer”.

Mr Cotter added that no others have be prosecuted in relation to the fraud, adding: “I find that staggering”.

In sentencing, Judge Susan Evans QC said: “These three counts, to what you have pleaded guilty, involved fraud of a very serious kind, they involved fraud which was designed to support the application for very substantial funds by the way of grants that were being applied for from Defra.

“At the request of a client you were asked to provide in effect a forged or fraudulently prepared quote in the name of another company in order to bolster the quote that your company provided.

“This was an exercise in assisting your clients in a criminal way, fraudulent way, to make very substantial applications which may have run into the area above £100,000 for the clients. There was no personal gain to you as an individual."

She said that she accepted that there was an “element of remorse” from Fisk.

Judge Evans handed Fisk a 12-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months. She also said he must complete 10 rehabilitation activity days, along with 100 hours unpaid work. He has to pay court costs of £500.

The prosecution previously offered no evidence against co-defendant Michaela Allam, of Coles Lane, Ockley, Dorking.