Tomb Raider composer convicted of loan fraud during pandemic

The famous British composer Peter Connelly, who participated in the creation of soundtracks for such video games as Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, Chronicles and The Angel of Darkness, as well as Watch Dogs and Dead Island, received a 16-month prison term for financial fraud. The court ruled that the musician illegally took out two loans under the small business support program during the coronavirus pandemic, bypassing the established restrictions.



In 2020, Connelly initially took out a loan for 22 thousand pounds sterling, and then, having provided false information about the income of his own company, received another 37.5 thousand pounds from another bank. According to the rules of the program for helping entrepreneurs, one could only apply for one such loan. The composer explained his actions by financial difficulties: while working on the music for the new part of Tomb Raider, he faced a lack of funds, sold his car and took out personal loans.

Despite the acquittals, the court found Connelly guilty of fraud. By the time the verdict was handed down, his company had already been liquidated without having paid off its debt to credit institutions. The case was one of many examples of abuse of state support systems during the pandemic crisis, but a rare one among the gaming industry.