Telford worker involved in £19,000 fraud at Aga
A fraudster from Telford worked with a colleague at Aga cookers to create up to £19,000 worth of false invoices for work that had not been carried out.
Dave Griffiths, 55, of Glebe Street, Wellington, pleaded guilty alongside co-worker Ian Smart, 65, of Verena Terrace, in Perthshire, at Telford Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
The pair appeared before District Judge Mr Timothy Boswell in relation to incidents dating between January 1, 2014, and February 28, 2015.
A third man involved in the case, 63-year-old Thomas George Booth, of Louth in Lincolnshire, also appeared in court and gave no indication of a plea.
The court heard that Griffiths, who had managed Smart for more than 20 years, instigated the invoices after suffering 'financial difficulties'.
The court was told he authorised payments for work including the commission of a new Rayburn cooker which resulted in a £500 bonus payment for Smart.
Difficulties
Up to £19,000 was fraudulently obtained, the court heard.
Defending Smart, Ms Debbie Starrs said: "Mr Smart was not doing it for financial reasons himself and was asked to create these by someone that had managed him for more than 20 years."
District Judge Boswell said: "The long and short of it is that Mr Griffiths was working for Aga at the time and found himself in financial difficulties.
"Mr Griffiths got them to make invoices for work that hadn't been carried out."
All three men were released on bail and will appear before Shrewsbury Crown Court on November 18, where Griffiths and Smart will be sentenced and Booth will have another opportunity to enter a plea.
