Andrew Peter Harris, former Transport Manager at Leicester-based Confidence Bus & Coach, has been convicted of theft from his former employer. Andrew is currently proprietor and Transport Manger of Harris of Leicester, which has an O-Licence for one vehicle.
According to the Leicester Mercury, Andrew admitted false accounting and theft on the basis he took about £30,000 although the prosecution alleged that bank account evidence suggested that he might have taken up to £55,000. He was given a 22-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, with 180 hours of unpaid work.
Judge Robert Brown told Andrew: “You’ve stolen from your employer and the sum is just under £30,000, but the company feels they’ve lost more.” He said that he was suspending the sentence as Andrew’s family was “heavily dependent” on him.
Convicted at the same time on separate charges was Susan Williams, daughter of Confidence Managing Director Ken Williams. Admitting to theft of about £20,000, she was given a 16-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, with 150 hours of unpaid work. Her parents had written to the judge urging “mercy” and “leniency” in her case.
The Judge said to Susan: “I accept that you have shown remorse from the outset. I am told that these proceedings have brought the family closer together in a very positive way.”
Fay Mellor prosecuting, said Harris was responsible for taking fares and waybills from the drivers and logging the figures, before passing them to Williams. Williams’ administrative duties included recording the takings on a spread sheet and banking them.
Miss Mellor said: “A driver found a waybill in his name, but not his writing, and alerted the secretary, who discovered other waybills had been forged. There was a drastic shortfall against the money taken and what was banked, amounting to about £70,000. Each denies acting with the other. The Managing Director challenged the staff and, when he threatened to call police, his daughter, Susan Williams, broke down and confessed. She also said: “Harris had also been taking money before he got married and bought a car and jewellery.”
Miss Mellor said that from January 2010, a number of deposits went into his bank account, paid in coins and low denomination notes, consistent with bus fares.
Philip Gibbs, mitigating for Williams, said: “She immediately owned up and it must have been extremely difficult.’’
James Adcock, for Harris, said: “It’s a personal disaster for him. He’s the author of his own misfortune.”
Both defendants face having their assets investigated and seized to compensate the business. Ken Williams told CBW that it was business as usual at Confidence. “Onwards and upwards,” he said. “We’re recovering from what’s happened.”
