A NEWRY company director who was already banned from being in business as as a result of his directorship of Newry Town Football Club was said to have "personally enriched himself" by transferring more than £1.3 million from a business to his personal account.
Trevor Warde (69) from Cloverdale in the city was banned for 14 years - one of the most lengthy disqualifications periods the courts can impose - as a result of his conduct as a director of Trevor Warde Groupage Services Limited.
A case brought by the Department for the Economy heard that the company, which operated as a road haulage business from Tandragee Road in Newry, went into liquidation in May 2014 with debts of £1,189,949.
Among the areas of unfit conduct admitted by Warde was that he causing the company to carry out "fraudulent activities" between May 1996 and November 2010, with the effect of personally enriching himself by lodging monies into his personal bank account of at least £1,306,773 and potentially up to £1,464,470.
He also continued to run his company during the period from August 2002 to 2007 when he knew he was already serving a five-year ban as a result of his directorship of Newry Town Football Club (1997) Limited.
Warde also caused a loss to the Crown of £1,153,966 by withholding £696,267 in respect of PAYE, NIC, interest and penalties for the tax years 2001/02 to 2010/11 and £457,699 in respect of corporation tax, interest and penalties for the tax years 2001/02 to 2010/11.
Another director of the company has previously been handed a five-year ban.
