Greedy hotelier who exploited covid loan scheme walks free

A Belgravia hotelier who blamed banks for not chasing him over repayments has been spared jail for defrauding the taxpayer of £450,000 in bounce back loans. Richard Courtenay, 62, lied about the turnover of his five companies when he made nine applications at the height of the pandemic in May and June 2020. Courtenay quickly transferred the funds to his personal accounts before investing the cash in cryptocurrency, Southwark Crown Court heard. He has repaid the £450,000 he fraudulently obtained…