A former union branch secretary has been jailed after defrauding Unison and the NHS out of a total of £80,000.
Tanya Tucker was found guilty of seven counts of fraud following a trial at Durham Crown Court, and appeared for sentence on Thursday. The court heard the 57-year-old used her status as a local branch secretary for Unison to falsely claim funds disguised as union expenses in order to fund her lifestyle.
Ian West, prosecuting, said Tucker denied fraud, but a jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict following a trial in March. He said the total value of the fraud was just over £80,000 and was committed over a long period of time. It took "deliberate planning" and the "side-lining of branch officials", he said.
