A JAIL term for a curry house owner in Chester who was locked up for evading £93,000 in VAT has been cut.

Ataur Rahman Hashim, 41, was jailed for two years at Chester Crown Court on March 2.

He was made bankrupt in 2003 because of a VAT debt, Lord Justice Bean told the Appeal Court in London.

But he continued his involvement in running the Step in India restaurant 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 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, of Birch Mews, Bolton, argued his jail term was too tough and should have been suspended.

His wife "is not in the best of health", his son had a complex medical problem and his 14-year-old daughter had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (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 "there is force in Mr Rich's submissions" that the sentence was too tough.

Hr said Hashim's personal mitigation "should have led to a greater reduction" in his punishment, so the court reduced the jail term from two years to 18 months.