Peer convicted of expenses fraud

A former Tory peer has been found guilty of falsely claiming more than £11,000 in expenses.

Lord Taylor of Warwick was convicted by a jury at Southwark Crown Court of falsely filing for travel and overnight subsistence.

He told the House of Lords members' expenses office that his main residence was in Oxford, when he lived in west London.

The 58-year-old, whose first name is John, was the first parliamentarian to be tried and found guilty by a jury over the expenses scandal.

The seven men and five women took just over five hours to reach their 11 to one majority verdict.

Taylor, of Lynwood Road, Ealing, made £11,277.80-worth of claims on various dates between March 2006 and October 2007, the jury decided.

During the trial, prosecutor Helen Law said: "Lord Taylor did not have a main home in Oxford and he was not entitled to claim as if he did.

"He knew that and he claimed anyway. He did so in a way that he knew would mislead the members' expenses section into making payments he wasn't entitled to.

"His actions were dishonest."

The property in Oxford was where his half-nephew Robert Taylor lived with his partner Tristram Wyatt, who owned the house.

Taylor said throughout his trial that all he needed was a "family connection" to a property to call it a main residence on his claim forms.

He also maintained he was following the advice given to him by fellow peers, that nominating a residence outside of the capital was a way to earn money "in lieu of salary". One lord, he said, told him he would be "crazy" not to.

Taylor never stayed in the Oxford property, and had no legal or financial interest in it.

IBB Senior Solicitor Eddie Tang, who was part of the legal team that defended Lord Taylor, said, "Lord Taylor has devoted 20 years of his life to public service. He is clearly devastated about the jury's verdict."

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