Former health authority employee jailed for selling employer's laptops on eBay

It was originally alleged that Neil Stephen Roberts had been responsible for a loss of £40,000 to the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Trust.

But his basis of plea that the fraud was valued at £18,000 was accepted at Mold Crown Court.

Judge Timothy Petts rejected a suggestion that Roberts should receive a suspended sentence and said it was so serious that it had to be served immediately.

The court heard that Roberts - who at the time worked at Wrexham Mealor Hospital - had taken advantage of the system in place at the time and replaced computers with used ones and then sold the new ones on eBay.

Roberts, 38, of Oak Meadows, Tanyfron near Wrexham, worked as a desk top support technician and took advantage of of a vulnerability he spotted in the audit system.

It was, the judge said, a deliberate and sustained fraud.

Judge Petts said that it was not a victimless crime, which took money away patient care directly.

The cost and time of the investigation itself could clearly be better spent on caring for patients, he said.

It was, he said, "an abuse of trust", a sophisticated fraud after he targeted a specific weakness he had identified from his position within the health board.

He had no previous convictions and he had the care of his daughter with his former partner.

There had been a lapse of time but the judge said that carried little weight .

While the investigation had taken time, he had not admitted his guilt until a month before his trial was due.

The judge told Roberts that in his view the only appropriate punishment was immediate custody.

It would cause difficulties to his ex-partner and daughter but "that is the consequences of your offending," the judge said.

Prosecuting barrister Sion ap Mihangel said in April 2015 audit procedures were tightened up.

Previously there was a greater reliance on individual trust.

When asked about a missing computer he said he had used it the previous day and had given it a reference number but checks showed it related to another computer.

Roberts said he had got confused and when further checks were carried out it was found that he had replaced computers with used computers and had sold the new ones on eBay.

Breach

And a total of seven computers were found to be missing valued at just under £5,000.

A search warrant was carried out at his home when a number of electrical items were recovered.

He gave a no comment interview but it became apparent that he had sold a large volume of computer hardware on line from July 2013 to December 2016.

Individuals who had purchased computers from him were contacted and 27 of them belonged to the health board.

The retail value of them was more than £13,000.

Further interviewed, he said that items found at his home had been taken from the "beyond economic repair" pile which he had permission to take and used then to improve his IT skills.

He denied that he had taken new computers and sold them on, which the prosecutor said was clearly a lie in view of his pleas.

It was the prosecution case that he had taken advantage of the poor auditing system previously in case, he said.

Defending barrister Andrew Green said that the case clearly crossed the custody threshold but he suggested it could be suspended.

It was conceded that it involved a significant breach of trust.

The realisation of the consequences of his actions had a significant impact upon him and probation officer Andrew Connah had told how the defendant described his own behaviour as "inherently stupid".

He accepted what he had done, was remorseful, and there was another side to his character.

The defendant was consumed with guilt and he was concerned of the effect a prison sentence would have on his daughter.

He was not her sole carer but maintained a role in her life.

The defendant had lost his career and his good name and the case had been hanging over him for two years when he had been through a period of deep anxiety.

References showed another side to him and one from his former partner described him as well liked, well respected and devoted to his daughter.

He admitted that between June 2013 and March 2017 that while occupying a position of trust as a desktop support technician, in which he was expected to safeguard the financial interests of The Betsi Cadwaladr

University Health Trust, that he dishonestly abused his position.

Mr Green said that the money lost in the fraud would be recouped from the defendant's NHS Pension.