Fortune stashed in comedian’s wardrobes

Press, 22 June 1989, Page 8

Fortune stashed in comedian’s wardrobes

NZPA-PA London The comedian, Ken Dodd, stashed away thousands of pounds in bank notes in wardrobes, cupboards and under the stairs at his homes, a Court was told yesterday. He kept more than £lBO,OOO ($321,000) in cash at his three Liverpool houses after withdrawing the money from an Isle of Man account when he heard how a bank had crashed.

Dodd, who is facing taxfraud charges, “believed that the whole economy was going wrong, banks were collapsing, the pound was collapsing,” said Brian Leveson, Q.C., prosecuting at Liverpool Crown Court. Because of his fears the comedian preferred to keep his money in cash, but he still kept some 20 overseas bank accounts, nine opened between December, 1979, and July, 1980.

The comedian was “up to his eyes” in tax eva-

sion, Leveson alleged. He had "deceived everyone.” "He continued to put cash in his pocket without recording the total,” said Mr Leveson.

"Quite apart from this, he earned vast sums by way of interest in overseas bank accounts.”

After hearing brief legal submissions in the absence of the jury, Mr Justice Waterhouse said three of the charges against Dodd were to be left to lie on the file.

The three charges allege Dodd cheated the Inland Revenue for the years ending January 31, 1975, 1980 and 1982 by understating the net profits of his company, Ken Dodd Enterprises.

Dodd now faces a total of eight charges, four of being a common-law cheat and four of false accounting. Towards the end of yesterday’s hearing, there was laughter in court as George Carman, Q.C., de-

fending, read out a letter from Dodd’s former accountant, Reginald Hunter, to the comedian. The first letter, dated June 2, 1976, began, “Dear Ken, Here they are and each, in its own way, a masterpiece.”

The letter referred to accounts for Dodd’s three companies, Ken Dodd Enterprises, Happiness Music and Diddy Scripts. Mr Hunter said, “I have added a year-end bonus of £lOOO ($1700) to your father’s wage and £2OOO ($3400) to Anita’s (Dodd’s then fiancee) as in the year before.

“Your own bonus — and rightly so — is £50,000 ($89,000) but by the time Healey (then Chancellor of the Exchequer) has finished it is worth a long weekend in Rochdale with the girl of your choice, two sacks of spuds, a 1934 lawnmower and a year’s supply of artichokes.” The trial resumes today. |