Former West Mercia Police Federation treasurer guilty of 15 counts fraud - using thousands of pounds for hotel stays and dining out
A former West Mercia Police Federation treasurer has been found guilty of 15 counts of fraud by abuse of position.
Jamie Harrison, 55, of Droitwich, Worcestershire, was found guilty of 15 counts of fraud by abuse of position.
The charges, for the former West Mercia Police Federation Treasurer/Secretary were in connection to misappropriation of federation members’ funds and abuse of hospitality.
The five-week trial, held at Hereford Crown Court, concluded yesterday - Wednesday, February 11.
The court had heard how Harrison abused his role to misuse around £13,500 of funds between 2012 and 2018.
West Mercia Police said that concerns were first raised to the national Police Federation in June 2018.
Based on the allegations, the federation commissioned auditors to review the financial accounts of the West Mercia branch and Harrison was suspended from his position as federation secretary and treasurer.
His role in the federation meant he was responsible for protecting the financial interests of the branch’s members.
The investigation identified that he repeatedly abused this position by using petty cash to fund his personal spend on food, alcohol and entertainment and used fellow officers’ membership funds to pay for four star hotel stays, meals and trips for his family.
He abused his position again by falsifying timesheets to receive and accept pay for full working shifts, even though text messages proved he was abroad watching rugby and on holiday.
More than 100 fraudulent financial claims - 'A betrayal of trust'
More than 100 fraudulent financial claims were identified through the course of the investigation.
The West Mercia Police investigation has been led by Detective Superintendent Tony Garner.
Following the verdict he said: “Jamie Harrison chose to act for himself. He took advantage of the position as treasurer and Secretary within the Police Federation to use member’s funds for his own gain. This was a betrayal of the trust placed in him by both the public and his colleagues.
“His actions amounted to criminal behaviour, and an investigation was carried out, without fear or favour, as the public would rightly expect.”
Victoria Norman from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "As a police officer and federation treasurer, Jamie Harrison was in a position of considerable trust and was expected to act with honesty and integrity.
“Instead, he exploited his control over WMPF's finances for personal gain and behaved in a thoroughly dishonest way during the entire eight years of his tenure.
“Harrison displayed an extremely cavalier attitude to being caught, dipping into petty cash at will, claiming expenses far beyond what was reasonable and falsifying timesheets.
“His entitled and dishonest behaviour ran counter to everything he should have stood for as a public servant and was total betrayal of the colleagues whose subscriptions funded the Police Federation, who trusted that their money would be used appropriately.
"The Crown Prosecution Service is determined to bring to justice those public servants who commit fraud and abuse positions of trust."
Sentencing will take place at Worcester Crown Court on Wednesday, March 25.
