Fraudster who duped Sovereign housing, Julian Cooper of Great Shefford, walks free despite trousering £110,000
A SOVEREIGN housing association employee ripped off the company for around £110,000.
But married father of two Julian Cooper avoided jail after a judge was warned of prison overcrowding.
The 56-year-old, of The Mead, Great Shefford, was entrusted with the housing association’s Jewson builders’ merchants credit card to buy goods on its behalf.
But, over two years, Cooper would buy lead and then sell if off – at a fraction of its true worth – to a West Berkshire metal recycling company.
Kelly Purcell-Chandler, prosecuting, told Reading Crown Court on Monday, June 23, that Cooper operated the scam on 87 separate occasions before he was found out.
She said suspicions were aroused when bosses noticed Cooper was missing from work one day while he was on one of his fraudulent jaunts.
An enquiry was launched; Cooper was confronted but initially denied all wrongdoing, the court heard.
However, when he realised the game was up, he admitted fraudulently claiming he was entitled to buy £110,902.04 worth of goods on the Jewson card.
He further admitted fraudulently claiming he had permission from SNG (Sovereign Network Group) to sell goods, intending to dishonestly make a gain for himself.
Both offences were committed in Thatcham between July 1, 2022, and August 31 last year.
Cooper also has convictions for previous, unrelated offences.
Elspeth Windsor, defending, said her client had acted that way partly because he had been suffering from “overwhelming depression”.
However Judge Michael Roques pushed back on that, suggesting that someone suffering clinical depression that severe would have been unlikely to have been able to get out of bed, let alone work.
Ms Windsor added that Cooper was genuinely remorseful and ashamed of his actions and had offered to repay the £110,000 in instalments.
Judge Roques remarked that this would have taken him 90 years, given the rate he had suggested.
Instead, the court heard, the company was seeking to recoup its losses via insurance.
Ms Windsor said Cooper was the main carer for his wife, who suffered from serious health issues, and reminded the court that current, ongoing prison overcrowding was a factor that could be considered when sentencing.
Judge Roques told Cooper: “You bought large quantities of lead from three different branches of Jewson and transported it to the A4 recycling company near Pangbourne.
“Only when confronted with irrefutable evidence did you make admissions.”
Nevertheless, he accepted that Cooper had since displayed “genuine and heartfelt remorse”.
He said: “I’m convinced you will never do it again.”
Judge Roques went on: “Lots of people suffer from depression and anxiety – but they don’t all go on to defraud their employers.”
Nevertheless, he concluded: “I can’t see any benefit to the community from sending you to prison today; that doesn’t serve anybody’s interests.
“And there would be a harmful impact upon your wife.”
Instead Judge Roques sentenced Cooper to two years imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.
In addition, he ordered him to complete 200 hours of unpaid community work.
No order was made for costs or compensation.