Ex-Prem and EFL player John Carew as been sent to prison after discovering jail sentence and pleading guilty at the Oslo District Court.
He is being jailed for 14 months for tax evasion crimes, after unintentionally failing to disclose his income at the Oslo District Court.
The 43 year old has also been handed a hefty fine of £45,353 (540,000 NOK) for tax fraud totalled at £456,264 (5.4million NOK) back in his home country of Norway.
BREAKING: Ex-Aston Villa and Norway striker John Carew is jailed for 14 MONTHS for tax evasion https://t.co/exDpsKuCkt pic.twitter.com/xgOkuIRQjP
— MailOnline Sport (@MailSport) November 16, 2022
Carew’s sentence could have been doubled if the court found that the he acted intentionally in avoiding paying his taxes.
Should Carew have acted intentionally in committing tax fraud between 2017 and 2019, prosecutors reportedly believed an appropriate punishment for Carew would have been a prison sentence of around two years and seven months, while his defendants wanted a community punishment.
In the 38-page judgment, the court adds Carew acted ‘grossly negligently’ but believes that it cannot be proven beyond reasonable doubt that he provided incorrect information to the Norwegian tax authorities.
‘According to the evidence presented, the court cannot see that there is a cover for Carew’s decision not to disclose his income and assets, even if the description of the offense was thereby fulfilled,’ district court judge Ingvild Boe Hornburg said in the judgement.
‘In the court’s view, there is nothing in the evidence that supports such a hypothesis.’
The Norwegian had previously pleaded guilty to fraud charges brought by the Norwegian tax authority, with defense attorney Berit Reiss-Andersen insisting this case should’ve been handled as a confession case, given how he confessed to the tax evasion.
Carew throughout the trial maintained that he hadn’t committed fraud on purpose.
He spent over 15 years as a professional footballer, but only three-and-a-half of those were spent in his home country.
Much of his earnings were made abroad, having made appearances for the likes of Valencia, Roma, Lyon and Besiktas.
Though he is perhaps best known for his time spent in the Premier League, playing for Aston Villa for four years, West Ham for one, and spent half a season on loan at Stoke.
He represented his nation 91 times, scoring 24 times, and was awarded Norwegian footballer of the year on three occasions between 2005 and 2008.
Carew’s lawyer thinks the ruling should be considered a victory considering he could have been issued with a bigger sentence.
‘This shows that John Carew is believed on all counts,’ Berit Reiss-Andersen said in a statement, via Norwegian news outlet E24. ‘The court has concluded that he has acted grossly negligently, but not with intent. We have claimed this all along, and Carew has been clear that he has wanted to make amends.’
The report claims that neither party have decided whether or not to appeal the judgement, while prosecution claimed Carew had plenty of opportunities to correct information given to the authorities, but chose not to.
Police attorney Ragna Flaekoy Skjakodegard stated last month: ‘Carew has had many, many opportunities to correct the information given to the tax authorities.’
Carew says that his actions were the result of poor advice from friend, lawyer and former agent Per A. Flod.
He insists that Flod’s advice led him to not disclose income and assets from outside of his home country, claiming he was ‘controlled as a puppet’.
‘I trusted him blindly,’ Carew said. ‘I have been convinced that he was right. He controlled me almost like a puppet.
‘I understand that it is grossly negligent of me to trust him so much, but that is why I have done it.’
Twitter users reacted Ex-Prem and EFL player sent to prison after discovering jail sentence and pleading guilty
@lukefrxst: John Carew, Carew. He’s served more time than me and you.
@goodtimegibbo:
John Carew Carew
He’s bigger than me and you
He’s serving a year or two
John Carew Carew
@LJ_bets: He’s bigger than me and you (to pay tax)
@ElliotBennett__: Oh dear John
@WitlessWolrab: Prince Williams mate
@Kevavfc1993: Oh John mate 🤦♂️ still bigger than me and you!!
@dskimcbski: Once a villain, always a villain 😬😉🤷🏻♂️
@utv_chris: John Carew he does what he wants
@TheVillaTalk_: Erling Haaland should tell Norway to let John Carew walk free. #avfc
@BackoftheTrini1: Really sad to see…
@MatthewW1991: Need Prince William to have a word. #avfc
@DanWilde9: No way
@LeeBond1991: John carew 👀 Although he should be following the law it’s always telling how harsh a punishment can be when it involves the government not getting as much money as they expected from you. There’s a very fine line between governments and mob bosses #avfc
Surely the King to be can pull some strings 😥 https://t.co/5nI739DIU8 pic.twitter.com/UlNwFh2F5V
— Jack (@_JackAvfc) November 16, 2022
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