An Eat Out To Help Out fraudster is behind bars after telling ‘a tissue of lies’ to a court about there being no return flights from Pakistan.

Mohammed Ikram pretended he couldn’t get an air ticket back for months while awaiting sentence for multiple charges of cheating the public purse during the Covid pandemic.

Ikram, 36, of Winterburn Street, Keighley, ‘miraculously’ turned up at Bradford Crown Court on Thursday after being warned that a Bench warrant would be issued if he didn’t attend.

He was remanded into custody by Judge Jonathan Rose who warned him to expect a lengthy jail sentence when he is back before the court on March 31.

Ikram was sent to the crown court by Bradford and Keighley magistrates charged with multiple offences alleging that between August 8, 2020, and September 6, 2020, he cheated the Public Revenue by submitting false online Eat Out To Help Out claims to Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs totalling £600,000.

He entered guilty pleas at the crown court in June when the case was adjourned for a probation report.

Today, his barrister Ayman Khokhar said the report ordered at the previous hearing had not been prepared because Ikram had been in Pakistan visiting his sick father.

But Judge Rose said Ikram had ‘told a tissue of lies’ to delay the proceedings.

He had claimed he couldn’t get back from Pakistan until May or June this year because there were no flights.

“There’s a flight back from Pakistan every day,” Judge Rose said.

He accused Ikram of attempting to mislead the court after it had ‘bent over backwards’ to let him visit his ill father ahead of sentence.

The police had been called in to investigate the matter and Ikram’s lies were uncovered.

Mr Khokhar said Ikram would surrender his passport and sign in at Keighley Police Station on a regular basis.

He had wanted to bring his father to the United Kingdom but couldn’t get a flight that would allow a passenger with an oxygen mask provision.

Mr Khokhar said Ikram was married with four children. He was very much tied to the Keighley area and had no previous convictions.

But Judge Rose said he had made repeated attempts to postpone the hearing then ‘miraculously’ appeared after the threat of the warrant.

“You must prepare yourself for a substantial prison sentence,” he told him, adding: “Take him into custody please.”

The Crown has offered no evidence against Ikram’s wife, Ghazala Ikram, who was charged with a criminal property offence.