A multi-millionaire restaurant tycoon told a court

A multi-millionaire restaurant tycoon told a court today (TUES) how his ‘spoilt and cosseted’ lifestyle during his heyday meant he repeatedly broke the law in his silver 237mph Ferrari.

Tim Power, 35, the former operations director of the Belgo restaurant chain, claimed his two chauffeurs were responsible for fitting an illegal numberplate to his sports car.

Power had received warnings to attend his local police station when he was caught at various sites around the UK using the numberplate ‘P9WER.

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It is also alleged he altered the P9WER plate to look like P8WER so that it resembled his surname even more.

Rebecca Harris, prosecuting, said the ‘P9WER plate’ had been assigned originally to a Porsche 911, which Power and his wife bought.

Both the vehicle and the plate were registered to the Matlock Bank, with which Power had a ‘business partnership.

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‘Clearly the couple wanted that particularly impressive number plate on their Porsche,’ Miss Harris said.

But when his business relationship with the bank ended, he was not supposed to use the plate any more.

‘The Crown say by this stage this defendant was well aware he should not be using ‘P9WER,’ Miss Harris said.

‘Attractive as that number plate may have been to put on a vehicle it was not assigned or registered to any particular vehicle.

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The plate should not then have been used on either the Porsche or any other vehicle, the court has heard.

Power masterminded the pnds stlg 30 million takeover of the Daphne’s restaurant – a favourite eatery of the late Princess Diana – and other top restaurants including the Ivy and Le Caprice.

Giving evidence he said he barely knew what to do with a tax disc.

He told Blackfriars Crown Court: ‘I never had to change a tax disc in my life.

‘It was only until the end of that year, 99, that I realised a tax disc had to have the same registration as the car it was displayed on.

‘I was very spoilt and cosseted when I was married to my wife.

Everything I needed was taken care of by this bank which she owned.

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Power, of Fulham Road, Chelsea, denies making fraudulent use of a tax disc on two occasions, and three fraudulent uses of a number plate between August 1999 and February 2000.

Earlier today the jury was directed to acquit Power of one charge of making fraudulent use of a tax disc and one count of making fraudulent use of a number
plate.

The trial continues.

mfls
ends

addtycoon.