A criminal defence lawyer jailed for a £60,000 tax fraud has had his sentence halved by top judges.

Azhar Islam Khan, who made his living from preventing people being sent to jail, had been locked up for 18 months in February.

But his jail term has now been cut to nine months by judges sitting at the Court of Appeal , in London.

The 45-year-old, from Headstone Lane in Harrow , was found guilty of cheating the public revenue and two counts of fraudulent evasion of income tax on January 31 following a four week trial, and sentenced on February 24.

Khan committed the offences between 2004 and 2011 by failing to declare income from his Wembley-based law firm.

He also failed to tell HMRC about rental income from two properties in Blackburn and Preston and recorded home improvements as business expenses.

Khan’s lawyers argued during the appeal hearing that the sentence was far too tough, given the amount of money involved and his previous "exemplary" good character.

Mrs Justice O’Farrell, sitting with Lord Justice Fulford and Judge Paul Farrer QC, agreed and allowed the sentence to be halved.

Khan was sole shareholder of City Law Solicitors Limited of Olympic Way, Wembley .

He has also been suspended from holding company directorships for four years.

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