Tomb Raider composer jailed for Covid loan fraud
SQUARE ENIXA video game composer known for his work on the Tomb Raider franchise has been jailed after he fraudulently applied for a Covid business loan.
Peter Connelly, 52, of Lambton Court in Peterlee, was jailed for 16 months at a hearing at Durham Crown Court on Thursday.
Connelly overstated his company's turnover to obtain a second Covid Bounce Back loan of £37,500 in 2020, when businesses were only entitled to a single loan.
Insolvency Service chief investigator David Snasdell said Connelly had "blatantly disregarded" the rules for the scheme, which had been designed to help small businesses during the pandemic.
"Connelly not only secured two loans when businesses were only allowed one, but deliberately inflated his company's turnover to receive more money than he was entitled to," he said.
Lucrative work
Connelly's musical career saw him work on additional sound for the Tomb Raider III before he became the lead composer for Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, Tomb Raider: Chronicles, and Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness.
When officers from the Insolvency Service interviewed him, he said was working on an re-imagining of the music from the Tomb Raider soundtracks and claimed the project had the potential to be very lucrative.
He began borrowing money through the Covid business loan scheme in May 2020, when he took out an initial £22,000.
While the first loan was legal, he then applied for a second loan in June through a different bank.
During the application, he claimed his company's turnover was £150,000 but the Insolvency Service discovered the real figure was £58,000.
His company went into liquidation in August 2021 before either loan had been repaid.
Connelly also personally entered into an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) in June 2022, which committed him to repaying his debts through regular payments to an insolvency practitioner.
Connelly pleaded guilty to dishonestly making false representation to make gains for himself or cause loss to another.
As well as being jailed, he was disqualified from being a company director for six years.