A "GREEDY" Stourbridge businessman who pocketed nearly £22,000 in a sophisticated income tax fiddle has been jailed for 14 months.

Builder Adam Turner tried to fraudulently pick up another £9.000 but that money was withheld after he was rumbled by an observant tax inspector, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

Judge Barry Berlin told 45-year-old Turner: "This was persistent offending and it was pure dishonesty."

He said the father-of-two, of Riversleigh Drive, Audnam, had been "motivated by nothing other than sheer greed".

Turner, a man of previous good character, was caught out when the inspector realised he had been making false claims.

When questioned Turner maintained he had little knowledge of the tax system but the judge added: "The truth is that you felt aggrieved because you thought you had paid too much tax and you tried to get it back from the Revenue."

James Bruce, prosecuting told the court, it was accepted the actions of Turner had been fraudulent from the outset.

But he said he had used and abused the system to bring down his tax liabilities, adding: "He went backwards and forwards amending his previous figures."

Turner, said Mr Bruce, had altered figures relating to business expenses and he had picked up £21,851 from the revenue while failing to pocket another £9,544.

The judge said: "This was a greedy man who stole from all of us over a period of about eight months.