One of the most wanted fugitives in the UK has been sentenced to prison after spending nine years on the run. Sarah Panicke has sued for her role in a multimillion-pound VAT fraud after she was arrested in Spain and extradited back to the United Kingdom.
The 48-year-old York-born man went into hiding in May 2013 while being tried for money laundering offenses and was subsequently listed by the National Crime Agency (NCA) as one of the most wanted suspects. She was convicted and sentenced in her absence to eight years in prison.
Panicke and her 17 accomplices have been sentenced to a total of 135 years for VAT fraud worth millions of pounds, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said after its arrest.
READ MORE: Lucy Letby: Nurse accused of killing babies has not recorded a conviction on one charge
After spending nearly a decade on the run, police finally caught up with her in Spain. She was arrested while walking her two dogs in the small town of Santa Barbara off the Catalan coast on February 27.
Panicke appealed the extradition procedure, but it failed and she returned to the UK earlier this week.
At a hearing in Kingston Royal Court today (Friday), Judge Sarah Plashkes QC told her: “You were sentenced in your absence by His Honor Judge Campbell in this court on August 22, 2013 to eight years in prison, this sentence will begin today . that you are extradited to this country.
“This means that you will serve at least half of this sentence in custody before being released on license. When you are released on license, if you commit another crime, you can serve the remainder of your sentence in custody. “
Sarah Panicke was on the NCA’s most wanted list
Simon York, director of the HMRC, said: “Sarah Panitzke helped launder millions of pounds of stolen money and thought she could escape her crimes. She spent nine years in hiding – but we never stopped looking. We have worked tirelessly with the Spanish authorities to monitor her and ensure that she is brought back to justice.
A confiscation order of £ 2,455,913 against Panicke in her absence on 22 March 2016 and she was given three months to pay the full amount or face an additional nine years in prison.
No money was ever paid for the confiscation order, HMRC said. The total outstanding amount, including interest, continues to accrue at £ 538 per day and has reached £ 3,470,575 by May 2022, the HMRC added.
READ NEXT:
Add Comment