Philip Stott prosecuted Chris Davies MP for one count of knowingly submitting a false expenses claim, and one count of attempting to knowingly submit a false expenses claim, contrary to section 10 of the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009.
Mr Davies is the Conservative MP for Brecon and Radnorshire, first elected in May 2015. He had created, in early 2016, two false invoices splitting the cost of a legitimate expenditure of £700 on photographs to decorate his constituency office. Mr Davies pleaded guilty to both offences at his first appearance at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 22 March 2019, and was sentenced on 23 April 2019 at Southwark Crown Court. At his sentencing, the judge, Mr Justice Edis, ordered that Mr Davies perform 50 hours of unpaid work in the community, pay a fine of £1500 and pay £2500 in prosecution costs. As an automatic consequence of his conviction under the Parliamentary Standards Act, Mr Davies will now be subject to the recall provisions of the Recall of MPs Act 2015. Philip Stott was instructed by the Special Crime Division of the Crown Prosecution Service. This is believed to be the first time a member of parliament has been prosecuted for this offence.
This has received extensive press coverage, please see the BBC, the Telegraph and here for the sentencing remarks.
Philip Stott