Suspended sentences for fraudulent plumbers (From Evesham Journal)

Suspended sentences for fraudulent plumbers

11:23am Monday 10th November 2008

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Three young men who stole up to £45,000 worth of plumbing materials from their employers and sold it for cash were told on Friday they were lucky to escape jail.

Judge Martin Picton, at Gloucester Crown Court, told the men their previous good character and excellent references sent in by friends and family, plus the fact they were unlikely to offend again, meant he could suspend their prison sentences.

Ian Unwin 25, of Grange Court, Tewkesbury, Christopher Henry 25, of Burford Road, Evesham and Steven Taylor 23, of Abbots Leys Road, Winchcombe all admitted conspiring to steal stock from the Plumbing Centre, Bourton-on-the-Water, where they all worked.

Unwin also admitted fraud - by issuing credit notes to himself for property which had supposedly been returned by customers and asked for 3 other offences to be taken into consideration.

Prosecutor Julian Kesner told the court that the case involved theft from their employer and was aggravated because it involved every member of staff at the branch.

"Unwin was the manager of the plumbing suppliers and had worked there for six years. He was the instigator of the fraud," he went on.

"This involved all three men in selling boilers to a third party for cash after using a flaw in the company's delivery procedure.

"They informed the central distribution centre that boilers had not arrived when it fact they had been delivered.

"Replacement boilers were sent and these were sold by the three men who shared the proceeds."

He said the actual amount involved was not known, but £45,000 worth of stock was unaccounted for and from May to August 2008, it was known that the fraud involved £13,000.

Defending all three men, Barry Newton told the court none of them had ever been in trouble with the police or the authorities before.

He handed the judge a number of character references from people who were incredulous that that the three had been involved in the fraud.

He asked the judge to suspend any prison sentence he might impose and add community orders so that the men would have to do unpaid work.

Passing sentence, Judge Picton said: "You are three men of good character who schemed together against an employer who was giving you a chance to earn a good living.

"Mr Unwin was the principle in the fraud and financial pressures cannot explain what he did. You all behaved appallingly but I do not think you will ever offend again.

"You are very lucky. Do not come back to this court again."

He sentenced Unwin to 12 months imprisonment suspended for two years, with 12 months concurrent for the second offence and 300 hours unpaid work.

Taylor and Henry were each given five months suspended for a year plus 160 hours of unpaid work. All three were also made the subject of curfews.

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