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 In June 2010 the Institute was asked to attend Bristol Crown Court as “expert witness” at the trial of a bookkeeper charged with “Fraud by abuse of position”. We hasten to add that the bookkeeper was not a member of the ICB.
Avon and Somerset Police contacted Patricia Marshall, Operations Director at the ICB, to give a professional opinion on the conduct of the bookkeeper.
“We looked through the evidence given to us by the police”, said Patricia, "and it did not take long to reach the decision that the bookkeeper had abused her position of trust and that this was not just a case of negligence.”
Avon and Somerset Police approached the ICB for advice in this case because the ICB is widely recognised as the leader in the professional bookkeeping industry. The ICB’s presence was paramount to the outcome of the trial where, at the eleventh hour, the bookkeeper pleaded guilty 10 minutes before the start of the trial. The Police and the Client of the bookkeeper expressed their gratitude to the ICB for attending.
The ICB was happy to give evidence at the trial, and is of the opinion that the profession needs to rid itself of bad bookkeepers. Furthermore, the ICB felt it was its duty to attend the trial to protect the professional and trusted reputation that ICB members have out there.
The bookkeeper was accused of fraud having stolen some £12,000 from their client, and was eventually sentenced on 1st July.
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