Getting new teeth in Turkey was 'the worst mistake' of his life, but now he owes £100,000
The 36-year-old self-employed scaffolder from Rhondda Cynon Taf, has been handed a penalty of £66,956 by the taxman for dodging payments between April 2018 and April 2024.
Last year Walesonline reported on his experience of a dental operation in Turkey, which he described as "the worst mistake" of his life having spent £14,000 on the surgery, travel and accommodation - only for his new gnashers to allegedly start "falling apart" within weeks.
Mr Bowen, of Bryntirion in Ynysboeth, Abercynon, told Walesonline the phone call from them was the first he had heard about his tax evasion. But this does not tally with the procedures of HMRC, which says it gives each defaulter a chance to argue why their details should not be published before they appear on the list.
He said he would call them back in half an hour but did not do so. The next day they rang him again and he said: "I dunno what to say to be honest. I've been trying to contact HMRC but I'm on hold. If I thought I done wrong I wouldn't be trying to ring them."
When they spoke to Mr Bowen for last year's piece on his dental woes, he said he worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week, for two years leading up to his January 2023 operation because he craved a "perfect smile".
Did that dream push him to twist the truth with his tax returns? "No," he replied, denying he ever dodged tax or knew about HMRC's concerns over his filings.
Speaking last year, Mr Bowen said his dental issues began aged 19 when he sustained a broken jaw from an assault in Aberdare's Tesco supermarket. "All my teeth started crumbling after that," he said.
The crowns he wanted were not available on the NHS and getting them fitted privately in the UK would have cost him £27,000, he said, but after a recommendation from a Turkish friend he opted to go to a clinic in Marmaris for a £7,800 operation.
Mr Bowen had 18 teeth removed and 12 metal implants inserted to his jawbone, before having porcelain crowns fitted. But he claimed they were "falling apart" within weeks of being put in, so he returned to the clinic in August 2023 for another operation, which again left him dissatisfied.
"I've got a big gap from my gums to my teeth," he said last year. "You can see all my saliva coming through the tops of my teeth."
The dentist, Dr Aras Selcuk, stood by his work, telling us: "This is the only patient with problems so far. Everyone is happy, only this guy is not... I told him the saliva between the gum and the teeth is normal."
In our original interview Mr Bowen said he had been "working so many hours" to save for a new operation to finally get the smile he wanted. This week, when we asked if there was an update on his teeth, he replied: "They're the same."
A person or business appears on HMRC's list if they have intentionally defaulted on more than £25,000 in tax. The authority says the list is intended to "influence behaviour by encouraging defaulters to engage with HMRC".
Defaulters' details are removed from the list after 12 months.
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'I started smoking cannabis which went on to legal highs. Because I was doing the drugs, I was being naughty at school and not going to school. I used drugs until I was 17." Chloe said the mental health impact of Thomas's abuse continued into her adult years. She explained that even though Thomas no longer abused her, they often saw each other because they were in similar circles. It meant her trauma was often triggered and so it became harder and harder to hide it from others. When Chloe had children of her own she realised she couldn't go on much longer without reporting Thomas' actions to the police. Then in 2020 she came across a Facebook page used by Thomas where he advertised himself as a children's party entertainer who dressed up like Spider-Man. 'This was the final straw,' she said. 'When I saw that he had been dressing up like Spider-Man for children I felt awful. I wish I said something sooner so that it didn't get to that point 'I look back and there were a lot of ifs and buts. 'But after [so many] years I didn't want to risk just coming out with it with no evidence, no dates, no times. In a court of law that's not going to get very far is it?' Chloe said the only way she believed she could take the matter any further was to confront Thomas and get a confession, so she bided her time until a suitable opportunity arose. She said: 'A couple of weeks before I reported it I saw him and he was quite upset about something. 'Afterwards he messaged me on Facebook with a broken heart emoji and this was the only opportunity I had to get some sort of confession out of him 'I asked him why he liked me when I was so young? I said: 'If you are really sorry you will apologise for what you have done and tell me what you did'.' In screenshots seen by WalesOnline Thomas clearly told Chloe: 'It was so wrong.' 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Describing the profound impact Thomas' abuse had on her life, Chloe said: 'It altered my life completely, starting with the drugs. 'Through doing that I missed a lot of school and I didn't get the education I needed to get a job 'As I got older I became more withdrawn and my anxiety worsened. 'I tried to hide it and avoided going to the doctors for [mental health] help in case someone asked why I was going and I felt like I had to tell them. She said it has even continued to impact her in motherhood. She said: 'I have felt worried about going out in case I see him, and worried about taking my children out. 'My child went to the school opposite to where he lives and it got to the point where I couldn't walk to the school and my children were missing days off school because I couldn't face going down there. 'There were days when they would be late because of the fact I didn't want to go down there. 'I have moved them to a different school now so I don't have to face going down there, but it has impacted their education as well. 'Just walking down the lane to the school you can see his house and you can see the garage. Going into the carpark and the school yard, you can also see it.' Reaching out to other victims she emphasised that once she reported Thomas' crimes to the police, she felt listened to and taken seriously. She said: 'Be brave, be strong, you can do it.' ChildLine provides help and support for children and young people. It's a private and confidential service for children and young people up to the age of ChildLine website and Helpline (0800 1111) are always available for information and support on issues like domestic and sexual abuse. If you, a family member, a friend, or someone you are concerned about has experienced domestic abuse or sexual violence you can contact the Live Fear Free Helpline 24 hours a day seven days a week for free advice and support or to talk through your options: 0808 801 08 00.
