A manager at a Maidstone restaurant has been spared jail after admitting fiddling a VAT repayment.

Abu Taher, who worked at Buddha Belly, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment suspended for two years for what a judge called serious offending.

The 46-year-old father was also ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work and was warned: “Make sure you never come back here.”

Judge Jeremy Carey disqualified him from holding a position as a director of a limited company for four years.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Taher, of St John’s Road, Tunbridge Wells, created and submitted two false invoices for building work at the venue, in Pudding Lane.

Prosecutor Emma King said refurbishments were carried out at the buffet-style restaurant by DCI Construction in December 2012.

Taher used invoices purporting to come from DCI to claim £46,667 in VAT. It was accepted out of the four invoices, two had been created by Taher and two had been backdated.

DCI confirmed it had not supplied the documents.

“He submits the loss is in the region of £30,000,” said Miss King. “The Crown doesn’t accept the loss is limited to £30,000.”

She told the judge: “The value of invoices is £46,667. You do not have to determine the loss. I don’t want anyone to leave here thinking £30,000 is limited to the loss.

“He was in a position of trust. He was not a director of the company but had a significant management role. There will be a civil investigation.”

Judge Carey told Taher, who admitted the fraud: “Your choice was whether to deal honestly with Revenue and Customs or to deceive them.

“You went to considerable lengths to deceive, it was relatively sophisticated and it took place over a significant span of months.”

Telling Taher the custody threshold had been passed, the judge added: “You have now lost your good name. You are a hard working man who has fallen from a high position to now facing prison.”

The judge added it appeared correct Taher acted dishonestly only to assist his company.

Under his disqualification as a director, Taher faces prison if found to be carrying out “quasi-company director activities”, Judge Carey said.