A man has been sentenced to 70 days imprisonment after failing to pay more than £2k arrears of council tax.
Matthew Simpson of Wecock, Waterlooville had failed to pay £2,236.70 to Havant Borough Council between April 2013 to March 2016.
Appearing before Portsmouth Magistrates on Tuesday 25 November, the court heard that Havant Borough Council had arranged a payment plan with Simpson on numerous occasions, which he had failed to maintain. He was found guilty of wilful refusal and sentenced to 70 days in prison.
Reacting to the sentencing, Councillor Philippa Gray, Cabinet lead for Finance at Havant Borough Council, said “Local authorities have a responsibility to recover unpaid council tax and going to court is very much a last resort.
“We will take action in the rare circumstance that we feel someone is deliberately avoiding paying, as this has an impact on residents who do pay.
“Our advice to anyone who is experiencing difficulty in paying their council tax is to contact us as early as possible so that we can help and advise them.”
Havant Borough Council collects council tax on behalf of Hampshire County Council, the Police and Crime Commissioner and Hampshire Fire and Rescue service, yet the council only keeps an 11% share of the overall amount it collects.