This is a true story from about 40 years ago, I knew the lad involved. He was running a second hand car dealership in Burnley and had been falsifying the accounts to lower his tax bill. He was up in court in Burnley, bang to rights and found guilty. Before sentencing his solicitor pleaded for leniency from the judge, he said 'My client is a decent, honest, hard working businessman, who has acted completely out of character when committing these offences.'

Good try, but the judge was not impressed, he'd been found guilty on 17 different charges over a period of two years.