BBC Techie's £8K "Revenge" After Job Loss

A bitter BBC technical operations manager, whose contract was cancelled, used the corporations's account to order nearly £8,000 worth of specialist electrical equipment during an act of "revenge" against his manager.

Former BBC News team leader Dominic Di Chiera, 50, claims he sought to blow his boss's budget to embarrass him during staffing cuts, but he ended up being arrested and having his home searched by police.

Di Chiera, who joined the beeb in January, last year after fourteen years at Channel 4, was sentenced yesterday to a twelve-month community order with 200 hours community service work and must pay £1,000 compensation to the BBC.

He ordered  a 3D Blu-ray player, LED televisions, a mobile phone, camera drive and other electrical items as his contract neared its end and four items were recovered by police when they searched his matrimonial home in Battersea Bridge Road, Battersea.

Australian-born Di Chiera pleaded guilty to seven counts of fraud by false representation, namely fraudulently using a BBC account to make purchase orders totalling £7,773.63p between June 4 and 26.

Prosecutor Miss Louise Burnell told Hammersmith Magistrates' Court: "Mr. Di Chiera was making fraudulent purchase orders for electrical equipment using the BBC account and having many of the items delivered to his home address."

His employment was due to terminate on June 30 and on June 26 his manager, Huw Davies, noticed a suspicious order made on the BBC account.

"It was reported to an investigating manager and the purchase order history revealed Mr. Di Chiera had used the account on behalf of the BBC and many orders were delivered to his home address."

On June 27 the defendant was called in to explain himself.

"He said he was very stressed about his contract coming to an end and said he acted in a silly fashion and admitted items were delivered to his address," explained Miss Burnell.

The police were called and Di Chiera's home was searched the same day and he was later questioned by officers.

"He said he had hidden many of the items within the BBC, but it is a mammoth task to search the building for them and the items have not been recovered."

Di Chiera told the probation service Mr. Davies had put him under huge pressure and he was working sixteen-hour days at the BBC.

He felt whatever he did was not sufficient to satisfy management and said the frauds were an act of "revenge" to make his boss look bad by going over budget.

Di Chiera's lawyer Mr. Juleun Lim told the court: "None of these items were retained by him. He's ordered them and they have been put back into circulation in the BBC stock.

"His motivation was to effect negatively his manager over the budget and make him look bad so that when the budget was reviewed there would be an overspend.

"His manager was treating him very unfairly and putting a tremendous amount of pressure on him and he likens it to being bullied.

"His work was good and when he was told his contract would not be renewed the pressure got to him and to use his words: 'I suffered a mental breakdown.'

"He is sorry he acted in the way that he did and he does wish to make amends.

"He is unemployed and actively seeking work in the same field and has an interview tomorrow."

Bench chairman Mr. Mike Cartwright announced: "This is a serious matter. There is no evidence that these items are back in the stock at the BBC."

Di Chiera was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.

He was employed at a variety of BBC sites and has also worked for Channel 4 and BSkyB.