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Jealousy over an MBE appointment was at the root of a bitter argument between two friends that has ended up in the High Court in London.
Adrian Fewings and Martin Poulter, both 63, set up Derbyshire Aggregates from Poulter's father's garden shed in 1984 and grew the company into a thriving international business.
But the green-eyed monster reared its head when Fewings was appointed an MBE for services to business in the Queen's birthday honours list in 2018, the court heard. Poulter was not included in the list of honourees.
Fewings has accused Poulter of scheming to oust him from the company out of jealousy, The Times reported.
HMRC launched an investigation into both men after Fewings claimed he had been 'extorted and blackmailed' by Poulter, saying he'd been threatened to disclose that they had accepted undeclared cash payments unless he turned down the MBE.
The payments from customers amounted to more
