A FATHER and son from west Cumbria have been given suspended jail sentences after they admitted offences committed when their roofing firm got into financial difficulty because of a tax debt.

Carlisle Crown Court heard that 64-year-old Kevin Musson became actively involved in managing Cumbria Roofing Northwest — despite him having been banned from acting in that capacity by a court.

Musson senior, of Calderbridge, Seascale, admitted contravening a company director disqualification by acting as a manager of Cumbria Roofing Northwest between May 12, 2016, and May 30 the following year; fraudulently removing £9,450 from the firm after a voluntary winding up resolution for the firm was passed; and a like offence involving £28,583.

Faced with a large tax bill, he “diverted” funding from the firm to another firm and to his own bank account, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

His son Ryan, 39, of The Orchard, Ravenglass, admitted two offences.

These were aiding an abetting Kevin Musson to act in contravention of company director disqualification; and making a wrongful application for a company striking off order by claiming that roofing firm did not trade in the previous three months.

Prosecutor Robert Wyn-Jones accepted that the offences had not involved dishonesty but rather a ‘concealment” of Kevin Musson’s status as a banned director.

Both the customers whose money was "diverted" by Musson senior suffered an impact, he said.

They had written victim impact statements. One spoke of feeling "terribly let down" and having to pay for the work on his roof twice.

The second customer who was involved suffered a “significant loss” to relation to her life savings and experienced anxiety and stress as a result.

Kevin Musson’s barrister said the he had an “extraordinary amount of expertise” in this field of work, but accepted he crossed the line in getting involved in a management role when the firm was in trouble.

Recorder Ciaran Rankin said Kevin Musson was very much the “controlling hand” in the offending.

He was given 18 months jail, suspended for two years, 150 hours of unpaid work, and a 10-year ban on being a company director.

Ryan Musson ­— said to have played a secondary role ­— was given 12 months jail suspended for two years with 150 hours unpaid work and a four-year company director ban.