Zoe Ball's tragic lover was 'under enormous pressure' after falling victim to a celebrity accountant who was jailed for fraud

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Zoe Ball's tragic boyfriend fell victim to a jailed accountant who left his clients with huge tax bills.

Billy Yates - who was found hanged in his south London flat on Thursday - hired Christopher Lunn, who was jailed for five years in 2016 and had stars such as Sadie Frost and Fiona Bruce among his clientele.

Lunn filled out inflated fees and expenses on tax returns in order to reduce taxable profits, but often left his customers with huge bills to front.

Zoe Ball revealed she was in a relationship with 40-year-old cameraman Billy Yates (pictured together in February) after she split from husband DJ Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim, last September

Christopher Lunn was jailed for five years in 2016 and who had stars such as Sadie Frost and Fiona Bruce among his clientele. HMRC recovered £20million after he was arrested

A source told the Sun: 'Billy suffered from depression but the strain of being left with an unexpected tax bill hit him hard.

'These sorts of things are a considerable concern for anyone — but it's particularly tough when someone already has mental health issues to overcome.'

Lunn was arrested in 2010 after HMRC uncovered evidence of a range of serious offences.

He stood trial at Southwark Crown Court in September 2013, charged with six counts of Cheating the Public Revenue.

In January 2014, he was acquitted on two charges while the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the remaining four.

Mr Yates was discovered at his flat in Putney, south London, (pictured) on Thursday evening

In January, Zoe was seen passionately embracing and kissing Billy Yates after they got out of a cab together in London

However, after five years of detailed investigation by HMRC, Lunn was convicted at the retrial in December, where a jury found him guilty of four counts of Cheating the Public Revenue.

Lunn was due to be sentenced on January 6 but his sentencing has been postponed after his lawyer claimed in mitigation he could only be held responsible for a fraction of the losses claimed by the prosecution. 

When he was sentenced, HMRC said in a statement: 'This investigation has already recovered £20million as Lunn's former clients settle their tax liabilities, with more to come.' 

Its is understood the financial issues added to his state of mind, but it is not yet clear what forced him to commit suicide.

In February this year, Zoe was seen helping Yates move into his new flat in south London

The flowers were left on the doorstep at the home where Mr Yates was found dead last week

It was claimed yesterday the presenter wants to tell Mr Yates' mother and father how much she loved their son when the time is right. 

But she is yet to contact his grieving parents to pay her tributes, preferring to wait for the opportune moment.  

Television presenter and DJ Kate Thornton stood in on The Zoe Ball Show at 3pm on Saturday and delivered her heartfelt condolences to Ms Ball on-air.

At the start of the show she said: 'Sadly our lovely Zoe Ball can't be here today.

'Before we get started can I just say from everyone on the show and here at Radio 2 our thoughts are with Billy, his family, and friends and of course with you Zoe.

'We are sending you the biggest of hugs.'  

Ms Ball took to Instagram to post a poignant and heartbreaking message following the tragedy, writing only: 'My sweet love'.

Paramedics arrived minutes after Mr Yates was discovered at his home in Putney, south London, but were unable to revive him.   

Sources say he suffered financial problems and mental health difficulties as Zoe followed Depression Awareness and Anxiety UK on Twitter.

Television presenter Kate Thornton cut a forlorn figure as she arrived at Radio 2 in London to stand in for Zoe Ball on her show.

Zoe shared a Samaritans tweet (pictured) which encouraged anyone going through a difficult or distressing time to call the charity

And in his final tragic tweet Mr Yates said a book about depression titled How To Save Time had given him 'reasons to stay alive.' 

But neighbours saw no sign of anything amiss, with one spotting the Antiques Roadshow cameraman laughing and smiling as he bought a soft drink from a corner shop hours before he killed himself.

The friend said: 'I didn't know this until today. It's just very, very sad.' 

Zoe's spokesman said: 'Zoe is devastated and requests that during this difficult time the media respect her privacy as well as the privacy of her friends and family.'

Mr Yates was said to have given the Strictly Come Dancing presenter a new lease of life following her marriage split from DJ Fatboy Slim and she had only recently expressed her love for him.  

Earlier on Thursday, she had shared a Samaritans tweet which encouraged anyone going through a difficult or distressing time to call the charity.

Along with a picture of a heart-shaped lightsabre, it read: 'If it really doesn't feel like the force is with you today, we're here and ready to listen.' 

Speaking on Friday afternoon, Mr Yates' 72-year-old father, David from Darwen in Lancashire, declined to comment on his son's death, adding only: 'We're just devastated, thank you.'

Raj Gorgar, who runs a corner shop adjoining Mr Yates's first floor flat,  said he was stunned by news of Mr Yates's death.

Zoe took to Instagram and posted a poignant photograph of a flower with the caption, 'My sweet love'

In his final tragic tweet Mr Yates said a book about depression titled How To Save Time had given him 'reasons to stay alive'

'He was a regular and would come in most days, to buy some water or a fizzy drink. He was a lovely man and always so polite and chatty,' said the 39-year-old.

'I can't believe that he is dead. One of my colleagues served him yesterday. He said that he looked fine and healthy.'

Mr Gorgar said he was aware that Yates was dating Zoe Ball but had never seen them together.

Other neighbours described Mr Yates as being 'fit and healthy'.

Ali Ashtari, who runs a takeaway pizza restaurant called Topollino's, said he would often see Mr Yates cycling past on his bike.

'He was a very fit man and to hear he is dead is just so sad,' he said.

Mourners left floral tributes (pictured) outside Mr Yates's house in London 

'It has brought tears to my eyes. When we opened here about four months ago he came in and welcomed us and wanted to see the food we were serving.

'He was a lovely man and one of our best customers. He would stop for a chat. He was just a real decent guy.'

Mr Ali, 47, said he saw police cars arriving outside the flat where Mr Yates lived around 6pm on Thursday.

'The cars were in the road and the men seemed to be looking for an address. I had no idea they were going to Mr Yates home. It is really sad to think that he has gone at such a young age.'

Naridner Parashar, 82, who runs a newsagents in a parade of shops close to Mr Yates' home, said he often called in to buy a newspaper.

The pair's romance came after she split from her husband of 18 years Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim (pictured) last September

'He was so good looking and very fit and healthy. It is just terrible what has happened,' he said.

A couple who live above Billy's flat described him as happy who had lived there for about 18 months. 

The woman, who asked not to be named, said: 'He was always happy and smiling and would always have a chat with you.' 

She said recently he was spending more time away from the flat but she never saw Zoe at the property. 

He said: 'We just met like we normally do and chatted. He said hello and we chatted a little bit. That was the last time I saw him. He seem completely normal like when I saw him before.' 

A small bunch of flowers with a note 'To our Billy' was left by a friend at the front door of the flat.  

A Metropolitan Police spokesman told MailOnline that Mr Yates' death was not being treated as suspicious, but would not divulge details of how he had died.

They said: 'Police were called at 6.40pm on Thursday, May 4 to a residential address in Putney following reports of a man found deceased.

'Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended. A man believed to be aged 40 was pronounced dead at the scene. The death is not being treated as suspicious.'  

The pair had been spotted out together on numerous occasions, and were seen in January kissing in the street in London

The pair's romance came after she split from her husband of 18 years Norman Cook last September. 

After announcing their separation, Ball and Cook said they would remain 'great friends' and would continue to support each other to raise their two children together.

She met the 40-year-old Antiques Roadshow cameraman through mutual friends at the BBC. 

In January, the couple were seen passionately embracing and kissing in the street in London.

One onlooker said: 'They looked like a new couple who are besotted with each other. Zoe couldn't stop smiling and was very into him, they look great together.'

Billy Yates (pictured right in February) was found dead at his flat in Putney, south London, on Thursday evening

And in February, Zoe was seen helping Yates move into his new London flat.

At the time, Mr Yates's ex Molly Johnson, 41 said she hoped the 'brilliant man' would settle down with his new love.

She said: 'It's all lovely and fabulous. I hope they're very happy. He is a dear, dear friend, my whole family just adore him.

'All that matters to us is that he's happy. He's a really, properly brilliant man, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for him.'  

The tragedy comes just a day after the TV host spoke out how she was embracing approaching 50. 

Zoe and Billy (pictured) had been spotted out together on numerous occasions. They are said to have met through friends at the BBC

She described the past 12 months in which she split with Cook and started her relationship with Mr Yates as a 'year of discovery'. 

During that time, she was also seen embracing boyband singer Tay Starhz, 22, on the dancefloor at the festive wrap party for Strictly Come Dancing's BBC2 spin-off show It Takes Two.  

Speaking at comedian Sarah Millican's monthly Standard Issue in Conversation event at London's Leicester Square Theatre this week, the TV host said she is 'starting to embrace the older age thing', adding: 'You just stop caring about stuff so much which is nice.'

She added: 'I have had a bit of a year. I've had a bit of a year of self-discovery.' 

As well as his camera work on Antiques Roadshow, Mr Yates has also worked on ITV's The Xtra Factor. 

• For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.