Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

A short film, 'A Landscape of Lies', was produced after authorities investigated the tax scam. It was released straight to DVD. IMDB

Irish actress among five people jailed for UK 'fake film' scam

Aoife Madden, a niece of a Sinn Féin MP, was jailed for her role in a scam to claim tax relief for a film that didn’t exist.

FIVE PEOPLE – including an Irish actress, whose uncle is a Sinn Féin MP – have been jailed in Britain for pretending to make a Hollywood movie in a scam to defraud tax authorities of millions of pounds.

Actress Aoife Madden (31), a niece of Newry MP Conor Murphy with an address in west London, was among the five who were given prison sentences for trying to claim major tax breaks and incentives for shooting a Hollywood-style film in the UK.

The fraudsters had been convicted earlier this month of attempting to secure a total of £2.8 million (€3.3 million) in government tax breaks and reliefs for work that had never been done.

Prosecutors said the group claimed to be producing a made-in-Britain movie with unnamed A-list actors and a budget of £19 million, financed by backers in Jordan – even convincing ‘Loose Women’ host Andrea McLean to take a major acting role.

But officials say the project was a sham to claim almost £1.5 million in goods and services tax for work that had not been done, as well as £1.3 million pounds under a government program that allows film-makers to claim back up to 25 percent of their expenditures as tax relief.

Only seven minutes of footage was actually shot for the film, which authorities said was ‘completely unusable’.

Bashar Al-Issa, described as the leader of the fraud, was jailed for six and a half years yesterday. Madden was jailed for four years and eight months. Three others in the group were sentenced to about four years each.

Britain’s tax agency said the filmmakers had submitted paperwork and received £1.7 million pounds when research revealed “that the work had not been done and most of the so-called suppliers and film studios had never heard of the gang.”

When the scam was detected, the gang hastily made a film called ‘A Landscape Of Lies’ on a shoestring budget in a bid to cover it up.

The movie – dealing with a former soldier’s struggles to readjust to civilian life after the Gulf War, when his former commanding officer is killed in a mugging – was released straight to DVD in Britain in 2011. But that did not deter tax authorities.

Judge Juliet May said innocent actors were roped into the bogus project, never suspecting they were used to create a “realistic background” for the fraud.

Additional reporting by AP

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
30 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John
    Favourite John
    Report
    Aug 28th 2015, 3:56 PM

    I bought a ticket in the last General Election for a Better Ireland, turns out it was a fake too.

    220
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Garwig
    Favourite Garwig
    Report
    Aug 28th 2015, 4:02 PM

    Brilliant , Me too turns out they didn’t even sign the contract either.

    43
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mr N
    Favourite Mr N
    Report
    Aug 28th 2015, 3:55 PM

    Ticketmaster aren’t exactly innocent in this, with their ticket reselling companies.

    201
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John S
    Favourite John S
    Report
    Aug 28th 2015, 6:44 PM

    Well if somebody buys a ticket to Electric Picnic 2014, more the fool he….

    48
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute funkybuscuits
    Favourite funkybuscuits
    Report
    Aug 28th 2015, 4:17 PM

    this is just propaganda to make sure you buy tickets from ticketmaster! I have 2 spare ones for electric picnic anyway if anyone’s looking. legit as fcuk

    87
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mark Noonan
    Favourite Mark Noonan
    Report
    Aug 28th 2015, 4:37 PM

    Are they more legit than your user name?

    53
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute funkybuscuits
    Favourite funkybuscuits
    Report
    Aug 28th 2015, 4:59 PM

    slightly funkier

    46
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute RMcG
    Favourite RMcG
    Report
    Aug 28th 2015, 4:45 PM

    My rugby world cup tickets were stolen, I moved address & the mail redirect didn’t work, someone signed for them with an illegible squiggle, RWC have cancelled the barcodes on the tickets and the tickets are now void. I just hope some unsuspecting person doesn’t buy them from whoever stole them. Whenever you buy tickets from someone without a licence to sell them you are talking a huge risk.

    74
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute RMcG
    Favourite RMcG
    Report
    Aug 28th 2015, 4:46 PM

    *taking not talking obviously :)

    20
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Fiona K
    Favourite Fiona K
    Report
    Aug 28th 2015, 6:25 PM

    Ticketmaster used to advise to do your ticket exchange at a Ticketmaster outlet and they would verify the authenticity of the tickets for you. Are they no longer offering that service? Also stop posting pictures of your tickets to social media as the barcodes can then be copied!

    34
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael cunnane
    Favourite Michael cunnane
    Report
    Aug 28th 2015, 5:05 PM

    I’m looking forward to this year’s eccentric picnic..uh oh :-o

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Joe
    Favourite John Joe
    Report
    Aug 28th 2015, 4:03 PM

    I used to buy the tickets and give the touters the money when I got into the event, not much that can go wrong

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mr N
    Favourite Mr N
    Report
    Aug 28th 2015, 4:31 PM

    From your point of view no, but what if you don’t pay them?

    16
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ray Farrelly
    Favourite Ray Farrelly
    Report
    Aug 28th 2015, 4:58 PM

    Well you won’t be getting a counterfeit beating.

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Cooper
    Favourite Paul Cooper
    Report
    Aug 30th 2015, 4:51 AM

    Beware of fake acts

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joe Haverty
    Favourite Joe Haverty
    Report
    Aug 29th 2015, 5:46 AM

    Gas, sure they’re in control of security features on their tickets, perhaps improve them!

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds