Tomb Raider Composer Jailed For 'Fraudulently Obtaining' UK Government COVID-19 Loans

Peter Connelly, a composer and dependable decorator champion known for his enactment connected the Tomb Raider series, has been jailed for "fraudulently obtaining" a indebtedness from the UK authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a connection from the UK's Insolvency Service, Durham-based Connelly was said to person obtained a morganatic $29,500 (£22,000) authorities "Bounce Back" loan, and past again a period aboriginal for $50,000 (£37,500) astatine a antithetic bank, adjacent though businesses were lone entitled to 1 specified loan. Connelly was besides recovered to person "deliberately inflated" his company's fiscal presumption during the archetypal fewer months of the pandemic successful 2020, reporting a turnover of $201,500 (£150,00) successful 2019 erstwhile it was, successful fact, $77,900 (£58,00).

In interviews with the Insolvency Service, Connelly stated that helium had been fixed the accidental to reimagine the euphony for the Tomb Raider soundtrack, describing it arsenic a "significant task which had the imaginable to beryllium precise lucrative." He reportedly took retired idiosyncratic loans and sold his car to concern the work, but that "stalled" astatine the commencement of the pandemic. By August 2021, Connelly's company, Peter Connelly Limited, had gone into liquidation.

Peter Connelly is champion known for his enactment connected the Tomb Raider bid astatine Core Design. Image credit: YouTube / Peter Connelly.

At a Durham tribunal yesterday, July 17, the composer was sentenced to 16 months successful situation and disqualified arsenic a institution manager for six years.

"Peter Connelly blatantly disregarded the rules of the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, designed to enactment tiny and medium-sized businesses during the pandemic," said David Snasdell, main researcher astatine the Insolvency Service, the enactment liable for tackling Bounce Back Loan misconduct.

“Connelly not lone secured 2 loans erstwhile businesses were lone allowed one, but deliberately inflated his company’s turnover to person much wealth than helium was entitled to."

While astatine archetypal Tomb Raider developer Core Design, Connelly worked successful dependable plan connected Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft and aboriginal arsenic a starring composer for Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation and Tomb Raider: Chronicles. 2003's Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, which Connelly co-wrote with Martin Iveson, featured the London Symphony Orchestra.

After Core, Connelly went connected to enactment connected the likes of 2011's Driver: San Francisco astatine Ubisoft Reflections, Watch Dogs, The Crew, South Park: The Fractured But Whole, and, astir recently, 2023's Dead Island 2.

Image credit: YouTube / Peter Connelly.

Vikki Blake is simply a newsman for IGN, arsenic good arsenic a critic, columnist, and advisor with 15+ years acquisition moving with immoderate of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's besides a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her astatine BlueSky.