A thief stole £82,000 from his employer by withdrawing cash and buying flights along with other items and covered it up by falsifying invoices. The theft left his boss feeling "anxious and stressful" with his actions having a massive impact on the business.
David Pollard, 38, of Sandfields, Port Talbot, was employed by Bridgend-based BFL Engineering Services for 11 years but during that time he was fleecing the company of thousands of pounds. The amateur cage fighter used the money to pay for flights from easyJet and items from PC World, Ikea, and JD Sports.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday head the defendant used a number of methods to cover up his offending including falsifying invoices, disguising payments as legitimate business expenses, and changing security information on the company's bank account.
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Director and owner of BFL Carl Clement employed his friend Pollard as an admin officer in 2011 but promoted him to office manager in 2014, which gave the defendant responsibility for the financial aspects of the business, the accounting software, and paying creditors. Prosecutor Sol Hartley said he was "put in a position of trust" by Mr Clement.
The theft, which began in 2014, came to light in June 2021 when Pollard was having "personal issues" and was taking time off work. As a result he fell behind in his work and ad not completed a financial report. Mr Clement went to his office and saw a Post-it note which said: "Sort BFL Barclaycard". This caused alarm bells for Mr Clement as the Barclaycard was only meant to be used for emergencies.
He approached Pollard who was unable to give an explanation so Mr Clement went directly to the card company and after some initial difficulty with security he was given 12 months of bank statements which exposed the extent of the theft. Mr Hartley said the total amount taken by the defendant was £82,747 including cash withdrawals of £34,500 alone.
Pollard, of Dalton Road, resigned from the business in July 2021 and stopped engaging with Mr Clement but when he was interviewed by police he accepted he was responsible for the theft. He claimed he was "treated badly" by Mr Clement and when he first used the cards he planned to pay the money back. He later pleaded guilty to theft and the court heard he was of previous good character.
In a victim personal statement read out at court Mr Clement said he had grown BFL from a small start-up to a "successful business" employing 20 people and described his relationship with the defendant as a "friendship" with him and his wife attending Pollard's wedding, attending their children's parties, and supporting his cage fighting.
He added: "I am suffering extreme stress and anxiety and my personality has changed. I have lost complete focus with my business and I have lost trust in my staff, having to check everything they do. My mental health has suffered and I feel negative in everything I do. I'm snappy and easily agitated.
"I am distracted from my kids and partner as I spend a lot of time taking work home and checking everything my employees are doing. My partner says I have become a different person and has noticed a change in my personality. I struggle to sleep at night and worry about the effects this crime has had on my business."
Mr Clement said it was discovered the business owed £24,000 in tax which had not been paid and they had to decline a number of contracts. The victim also said he was involved in a car crash which he believes was partly caused by the stress he was under. He added: "My business will never be the same and it will take a long time before I recover from the psychological impact that has been caused."
In mitigation Kevin Seal said his client's offending was "unprofessional and unsophisticated" and the theft had started small with the defendant's full intention to pay the money back. He said there had been a number of "tragedies" in Pollard's family and he had recently separated from his long-term partner, which had caused him distress.
Sentencing, Recorder Andrew Hammond said: "The betrayal of the friendship and trust [Mr Clement] placed in you is profound. He has lost trust in other members of staff and there has been and effect on his mental health, home life, and he's lost confidence and self-esteem as a result. He avoids socialising, work meetings, and suffers panic attacks."
Pollard was sentenced to 28 months imprisonment. He was also made subject to Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) proceedings which will determine if he is to pay any money back.
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