Attorney General "destroyed businessman's reputation"

A court’s heard a Manx businessman blamed the Island’s Attorney General for destroying his reputation.

Jonathan Irving was giving evidence as a witness in the trial of Stephen Harding, aged 52 of Glen Vine.

Mr Harding denies committing acts against public justice and perjury.

During the second day of the trial at Douglas Courthouse today, the court heard Mr Irving’s Street Heritage company was wound up in 2010 over an unpaid tax bill of £180,000.

Mr Irving told the court he’d raised enough funds to cover his tax bill and rang Mr Harding, a government advocate at the time, to tell him the day before the hearing was due to take place.

But the Irving’s advocate got the time of the hearing wrong and missed the hearing - and Mr Harding kept quiet about the company's plans to pay.

Peter Wright QC, prosecuting, said that silence was a "failure in Mr Harding's public duty" which later led to a formal reprimand at an advocate’s disciplinary tribunal.

Defence QC David Farrer put it to Mr Irving he’d paid other creditors and cheques to the Treasury had bounced.

He said Mr Irving didn’t trust government officials and had been withholding money from the treasury for years.

The trial continues.