A Bankrupt trader who incurred a £16,000 loss to a company has been jailed.

Anthony Peters was jailed for three months at Chelmsford Crown Court after he admitted a charge of obtaining credit while being an undischarged bankrupt.

The court heard Peters, 55, from West Avenue, Chelmsford, was made bankrupt in 1978 and was declared bankrupt again in 1991.

In September the following year he began trading as Dove Cash and Carry and specialised in greetings cards from a unit at the Widford Industrial Estate in Chelmsford.

He bought cards from a firm called Second Generation Ltd and distributed and sold them to shops, Richard Porter, prosecuting, said.

He did not declare he was bankrupt and was given a credit limit of £5,000 and eventually ran up a debt of £16,165, the court was told.

Caroline Milsom, mitigating, said Peters began in business at the instigation of a new partner who was in business selling cards.

"For a while it all went well but then things began to go pear-shaped and he got into difficulty," she said.

Because of an error on the part of Second Generation Ltd, Peters was sent extra goods and this increased the outstanding debt and a spiral was created he could not get out of, Miss Milsom said.

"In 1996 in desperation, he went off to Spain," she added.

Judge Brian Watling QC told Peters: "You have caused a great deal of loss to various people by your business activities."

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