Two directors of a company that supplied door staff to upmarket hotels have been sentenced to two years for fraud by Trim Circuit Court.

Enda O’Rafferty (39), Ardnamullan, Colnard, Co Meath, and Anthony Malone (37), Moygrehan, Athboy, Co Meath, of Professional Doorstaff Ltd, used bogus VAT invoices to defraud the Revenue of €172,000, the court heard yesterday.

Both men admitted the offences, which took place between January 2004 and April 2005. The company submitted bogus invoices to companies that did not exist to reduce their VAT liability.

Tax inspector Olive Marshall told the court when the Revenue carried out an audit in July 2005 they found that one of the companies named on a VAT invoice did not exist.

Defendants’ counsel said the men had run into cash flow problems as neither of them had any business knowledge.

Judge Michael O’Shea sentenced Malone to concurrent terms of two years on each of seven charges and O’Rafferty to concurrent terms of two years on each of six charges.