£100,000 on eBay…then off to jail

18 Jan 2007

A fraudster has been jailed for selling £100,000 of goods on eBay while claiming benefits.

Barry McNaughton financed a lavish lifestyle by selling DVDs, electrical equipment and even a Ford Transit van on the Internet auction site.

But while his business thrived, he claimed £16,700 in income support, housing benefit and council tax relief because he was ‘too depressed to work’.

When police raided his house following a tip-off, they found two £5000 Rolex watches, a Tag Heuer watch, £1,300 of jewellery, a new plasma flat-screen TV, a Sony computer and Smeg kitchen appliances. He had also hidden six bottles of Champagne under his bed.

McNaughton, 37, was jailed for six months and ordered to pay back all the falsely claimed benefits.

The Department for Work and Pensions, which brought the prosecution, said it had never seen a benefits cheat make so much off eBay.

Anti-fraud minister James Plaskitt added: ‘Our investigators have more powers than ever before. Our message is clear – don’t do it. There are no ifs, no buts – we will catch you.’

McNaughton from Portsmouth, Hampshire, was originally arrested for handling stolen goods in September 2005 after police and fraud squad officers raided his house.

But it emerged the items were not stolen. Instead, McNaughton had been going to markets to buy cheap goods and sell them on.

He admitted three charges at Portsmouth Crown Court.

The Inland Revenue later said it would not prosecute people who sold a few items on eBay and judgement was made on a case by case basis.

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Comments

hi yes barry brother here what a joke £100k were do people get these figures from? as for tycoon 1 bedroom bedsit. 2 rolex watches maybe 1 which the good british police sold on for a whopping price of £350 were do they get £10k from?

dont believe every thing you read in papers he was well and truely stitched up. were is the money from the watches?papers never reported that? 5 houses was raided in the beginning for what selling on ebayOR the benefit money.of course all they rights to do so. smashed up property returned after 14 months with no explanation why why why??? wonder why people had lost faith in the good british police force. never mind just watch what you sell on ebay you might be next

I think it is unfair what you wrote about Barry, your information was so misleading and some things were NOT TRUE. Its unfair that he is not able to make a comment in return. Did you see personally the proof of the said amount that has made him a 'tycoon'? NO, what a surprise. Neither has anyone else. Yes he had a plasma, did you know he also has a credit contract which he was paying monthly! TYCOONS don't live on credit, ok, a rolex, but did you also know he was left a sum of money in a will. The watch was purchased as an investment for his children. Elaborate you may say but not an illegal gain! AND did you also know that the POLICE took them and autioned them off last week? Who gets the money from the sale? Why did they not return them to him along with the rest of the property from his flat that they took saying it was all stolen? WHAT WAS? NOTHING WAS! 3 bottles of that champagne were presents, well he didn't drink, maybe once or twice a yr, we are going to have to re think our gift lists JO PUBLIC, be careful big brother is watching you. He did not have a dishwasher either. You tell me why he can't sell things on for profit, every shop, business and company sell it on for profit.!!! Thats business, thats how the world survives.

Yes Barry done wrong, that can't be denied, he is paying the price for it. OH, did they also mention he has for the last 14 months been paying it back too on top of the money that they got for the watches that they auctioned last week 1 ROLEX 1 TAG that the police valued at £300 and £50, NOT TWO, WHERE did they get £10,000 from and if the case, where is the money from the auction they done???? Has that gone back to to the state to repay what he owes or has it lined some ones pocket or club fund? we will probably never know where that money goes, ANY ONE want to chase that one up?

He knows he's done wrong and is sorry, there is no way way the amount was £100,000 a lot of items were re-listed, 3,4,5 times because payments were not recieved, he also brought and sold items at a loss. He got into the auctions and it was like an addiction waiting for the next bid, the question and the final sale.

Hey, maybe you want to go and visit his TYCOON flat? A tiny bedroom/frontroom. The settee is squashed up against the bed post. The kitchen you can touch the walls from one side to the other, BLIMEY, what a life. He owes the stATE that money and will pay it back, he done wrong and will live with it for the rest of his life. He is just a lovable, friendly rouge who would give the tramp on the street his last penny and not think of himself. Those who know will be forever in his debt and they know he will never ask any favours in return. Let him serve his time and repay his debt.