Rossendale council writes off murderer's tax bill (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Rossendale council writes off murderer's tax bill

10:00pm Friday 8th March 2013 in News

A MURDERER’S tax bill is believed to be among a slew of bad debts being written off by an East Lancashire council.

Town hall chiefs in Rossendale have not identified the individual, who is said to owe £9,211 to the authority, for unpaid non-domestic rates.

The only information revealed in a council report for potential ‘write-offs’ is that the case involves a debtor who will be in jail for at least 15 years.

The tax bill is believed to involve Ian Priddle, a former print finishing firm manager from Haslingden, who was jailed for a minimum 21 years in 2008 for a killing in Pakistan. Together with his lover Yasira Pervez, he was convicted of killing Khurrum Mukhtar at a hotel room in Rawalpindi in December 2006.

Mr Mukhtar was the husband of Pervez, from Accrington, who was eager to ditch the ‘young country boy’ after starting an affair with Priddle.

The tax bill amounts to £2,465 for 2008-09, £3,385 for 2011-12 and £3,360 for 2012-13, according to the council report.

Another £74,000 is recommended to be written off in non-domestic rates and a further £7,420 in unpaid council tax.