Parker, 36, originally from Mildenhall, obtained credit from multiple suppliers after maintaining that he had a successful sheep and cattle business.
While most of the credit was used to fund his farming business, Wayne Parker Farming, he also lived a lavish lifestyle beyond his means, buying a Range Rover and other luxury purchases on finance.
When chased for payment of his debts Parker denied all knowledge of receiving invoices and resorted to other delaying tactics, such as writing cheques from closed bank accounts with no funds.
He admitted in court to lying to his suppliers but claimed he had sought to consolidate his debts with a company specialising in loans for bankrupt farmers, despite there being no evidence to support this.
Ipswich Crown Court subsequently found Parker guilty of fraudulent trading between February 2018 and May 2020 at a hearing in October 2022.
An arrest warrant was issued when he failed to appear in court for sentencing in February 2023.
While on the run Parker used hire cars in a bid to avoid detection, moving around the west and south of England.
Parker was finally caught at a service station near Basingstoke, Hampshire, on August 31 while driving his own vehicle when its registration plate triggered an alert in a passing police car.
Judge Nicola Talbot-Hadley sentenced Parker to serve four years for fraud, 10 months for 19 animal welfare offences investigated by Cambridgeshire Trading Standards to which Parker had previously pleaded guilty, and two months for absconding.
The judge told him:
“Some of the deals you entered into were clearly going to make a loss and you should have been aware of that.
“You then got yourself into a web of deception, making false promises to pay, reassuring people that money would be forthcoming once you had secured some other business transaction, but it was all based upon fiction and lies.
“To some individuals you made partial payment of monies owed, but for many others a large debt remained outstanding
“A common thread across all of those individuals was a series of broken promises, endless assurances that payment would be made in time, that monies were on their way, then followed by various dishonest excuses as to why payment was not forthcoming.”
Graham Crisp, Head of Suffolk Trading Standards, commented on the sentencing:
“Today’s sentencing is a fantastic outcome for Suffolk Trading Standards and our counterparts in Cambridgeshire that will see justice served to one of East Anglia’s most brazen criminals.
“Our officers have worked tirelessly to pursue this conviction, knowing the impact of Parker’s actions on the farming community, with him giving a bad name to farmers in genuine financial distress.
“His web of lies and deceit eventually caught up with him, and I hope this sends a clear message to anyone tempted to use fraud to fund a lifestyle beyond their means that this crime is unacceptable in Suffolk.”
Councillor Andrew Reid, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Public Protection, added:
“Instead of doing the honourable thing and admitting his cash flow problems, Parker selfishly took out more and more credit, not caring that doing so could cause serious financial hardship for his suppliers.
“Many of these were small family-run businesses that have suffered considerably from his actions and will be left counting the cost for some time to come.
“Thanks to the involvement of Suffolk Trading Standards, there won’t be any further victims in our county, and Parker can use his time in prison to reflect on his actions and think twice about carrying out such devious behaviour in future.”
The investigation into Parker’s fraudulent activity was prompted by Suffolk Trading Standards noticing irregularities when they investigated him for failing to dispose of animal by-products, breaching tuberculosis requirements, and not recording and reporting animal movements.
This resulted in him receiving a 12-week custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months, in February 2020.
