Tory MP to be sentenced after submitting false expenses invoices

Tory MP Christopher Davies arrives at court to be sentenced for submitting two false expenses invoices worth £700 for pictures and furniture at his constituency office

• Charges relate to when Davies was setting up office following 2015 election
• He had bought nine images from photographer for £700 with his own money
• Then made two fake invoices so £700 cost could be split between two budgets
• He was told ‘two very serious offences’ were ‘absolutely intended to deceive’ 

Tory MP Christopher Davies arrives at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today

Conservative MP Christopher Davies arrived at court to be sentenced today after admitting submitting two false expenses invoices.

Davies, the Tory MP for Brecon and Radnorshire, was told he had committed ‘two very serious offences’ which were ‘absolutely intended to deceive’ when he appeared before magistrates last month.

Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard how the two charges related to the period when Davies was setting up his constituency office following the 2015 snap general election.

He had contacted a photographer in his constituency and purchased nine images from him to decorate and display in his constituency office, using his own money to pay the £700 for them initially.

There were two budgets available to him, the Start Up Costs Budget – for office furniture and IT equipment – and the Office Costs Budget, both of which he could claim the full amount from.

But Philip Stott, prosecuting, revealed Mr Davies found in February 2016 that only £476.02 was left in the Start Up Costs Budget, with £8,303.75 remaining in the other.

Davies is pictured outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court at a previous hearing on March 22

He then proceeded to create two fake invoices, so the £700 cost could be split between the two budgets – £450 to the Start Up and £250 for the other.

District Judge Zani said: ‘The documents you created are troublesome in that they carried a deal of information that you put together which absolutely intended to deceive.’

The judge directed the case be moved to crown court for sentence. Davies will appear before Mr Justice Edis at Southwark Crown Court today.

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