A businessman who used sharp practice to dupe householders into paying to cut their council tax bills was “a whisker away from fraud”, Bradford’s top judge told him yesterday.

The city’s Recorder, Judge James Stewart QC, was sentencing Jack Henry, the former boss of Council Tax Review, in what was believed to be the first case of its type in the country.

Henry left home-owners, including pensioners, across West Yorkshire out of pocket after sending out misleading fliers telling them their properties were in too high a council tax band, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Henry, 45, of Huddersfield Road, Dewsbury, pleaded guilty to 14 offences under the Unfair Trading Regulations between September 2009 and September 2010.

He was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, with 150 hours’ unpaid work. He must pay the £12,500 cost of the prosecution and the judge gave him seven days to refund three householders still owed a total of £455.

Henry now trades as Reband, with 33 employees and 7,000 clients, his barrister David Friesner said.

Howard Shaw, prosecuting for West Yorkshire Trading Standards Services, said: “The case is about sharp practices, or sloppy practices, and overstating the position to draw customers in.”

Mr Shaw said there were 12 complainants, five of whom were elderly and infirm.

Council Tax Review sent out fliers to householders it believed could be in the wrong council tax band and charged a fixed fee or commission to take up their cases with the Valuation Office Agency.

The sales pitch was “stop paying more council tax than your neighbours”.

In one instance, the business took £95 from a woman in her nineties and “simply did nothing”, Mr Shaw said.

A 75-year-old Bradford woman handed over £95 after being told by Council Tax Review that the council owed her more than £2,000. An 83-year-old Bradford man was pledged “a substantial” council tax refund and also parted with £95.

Other elderly householders complained of losing sums of up to £185.

Complaints from the public prompted an investigation by Trading Standards and Henry was arrested in July 2010.

Mr Friesner produced letters from satisfied customers who had received council tax refunds.

He said Reband dealt with 25 successful claims this month.

Henry did not set out to rip people off or target the elderly.

“He wasn’t really doing what it said on the tin... but he was there or thereabouts,” Mr Friesner said.

Judge Stewart told Henry: “Through your business, Council Tax Review, you were guilty of sharp or shoddy practise.”

He added: “You deliberately over-egged the pudding in order to draw in clients to your business.”