Businessman Jack Darrell Henry who ran council tax refund firms has admitted conspiracy to defraud and money laundering charges.

Henry, 47, who ran Huddersfield-based firms including Reband (UK) Ltd and Council Tax Review, was accused of defrauding hundreds of people.

His companies approached householders offering to submit appeals against council tax valuations and win backdated refunds worth hundreds of pounds.

Henry, whose last known address was in Norristhorpe, Liversedge, had a website and traded nationwide.

He asked clients for upfront fees – typically £150 – to carry out an investigation into council tax banding and submit an appeal.

If successful in lowering the banding and securing a refund, he would claim a percentage of the money recovered.

Customers who complained struggled to get refunds and complaints flooded in to Trading Standards.

The authorities received more than 400 complaints and investigators from the regional Trading Standards Scambusters team, based at York, launched an inquiry.

Henry was charged with conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, conspiracy to blackmail and acting as a company director while disqualified.

In October last year Henry was remanded in custody by Calderdale magistrates after he breached bail conditions banning him from canvassing for business or contacting customers directly or indirectly.

He had denied all charges until a pre-trial hearing at Leeds Crown Court last week.

Prosecutors accepted his pleas to two charges and the others will remain on the file.

The Examiner understands Henry had previously been released from prison because custody time limits only allow defendants to be held for a certain length of time on remand.

Henry had been due to go on trial next week with four others.

Henry will be sentenced later.

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