A car valet boss accused of underpaying his employees has been ordered to pay them more than £10,000 in backpay, a court was told today.
Florenc Gjona, 46, pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to keep adequate pay records on behalf of himself and his company The Valeting Place at Brighton Magistrates Court.
Both counts named employee Lorraine Donaldson, saying she had been employed at The Valeting Place in Little Preston Street for six years.
Gjona, of Saunders Park View, now faces an unlimited fine, in addition to being ordered to pay more than £30,000 in a separate civil case.
Prosecuting, Megan Attree said: “HMRC got involved with allegations that the defendeant wasn’t paying his employees. This rumbled on for several years, from 2019 to 2023.
“The initial charges being pursued were a different section of the National Minimum Wage Act which was about not paying essentially the national minimum wage to the employees
“The evidential test wasn’t quite met so a diferent charge was preferred, namely that the defendant hadn’t kept sufficient records, which is what is before the court today.”
She said the evidence before the court included a 200 page bundle comprising two payroll books full of handwritten notes with scant details.
She added: “The defendant was also subject to civil action which resulted in him being ordered to pay £10,886 arrears to his employees and £21,700 to HMRC – neither of which have been paid.”
Defending, James McPherson said: “My client accepts that he didn’t keep proper books and paperwork, etc, but he says he always paid his employees the right amount.”
After hearing that there were no company records available to the court today, district judge Amanda Kelly adjourned the case until 13 May for sentencing.
Isn’t Saunders park view council accommodation?
Therse are the people paying with cash at the supermarket checkout, avoiding tax, until HMRC catch on.
It never stopped them clapping the NHS though, or wanting to use public services.
slavery out in the open but nobody wants to tackle it for fear of being called wayyycist
pathetic
Just do the maths. Number of people x time divided by how much you pay is the hourly rate. Much of the time it won’t be minimum wage even before you factor in materials, costs, admin, profit and (ahem) tax. Carwashes and valeters are a hotbed for modern slavery. I say again, do the maths, and if it doesn’t add up, report them.
Not the only employer in Brighton that does this, sadly… The same happened with the owner of Longrain, lost the case, was ordered to pay wages long time ago and people are still waiting for the monies while he opens new places…
Got to love the fact he has no accounts. No doubt has not got a card terminal to keep it all off the books.
I’m convinced, businesses run by certain groups of people are being run to hide not just modern slavery but failing to pay correct amounts of tax.
Why else are no records kept?
These people know EXACTLY what they are doing!
Hmrc could go to any barber shop, car wash or nail bar and find the same. But won’t.
Sadly, the underpayment was not what was caught theme in this case, but their lack of bookkeeping. It almost suggests if you’re going to be scum, you best also be organised about it.