Sacked BBC Techie's Revenge

A bitter BBC technical operations engineer used the corporation's account to order nearly £8,000 worth of electronics, which he placed in various offices to "implicate" the manager who sacked him, a court heard today.

Former BBC News team leader Dominic Di Chiera, 50, (pictured) of Battersea Bridge Road, Battersea admitted ordering a 3D Blu-ray player, LED televisions, a mobile phone, a camera drive and other electrical items as his contract neared it's end.

"When ordering these items the defendant had the electrical goods delivered to his home address," prosecutor Miss Amanda McCabe told Hammersmith Magistrates' Court.

"He said he committed the offences on being told that his contract would not be renewed and wanted to implicate a BBC colleague responsible for budgeting, who was responsible for not renewing his contract.

"He intended that the purchases would implicate him and he took items to the BBC to deposit them, but some were found at his home address."

Di Chiera was upset with technology operations manager Huw Davies, who said when contacted: "He was copped out. The police discovered that orders were going to a residential address."

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.

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

"There is an element of breach of trust here and the items were of a high value," added Miss McCabe.

The court heard Di Chiera was close to a nervous breakdown after hearing his employment was coming to an end and is keen to receive help to ensure he does not repeat this type of behaviour.

He is currently working with police to locate the electrical equipment he says he left at BBC offices.

Di Chiera was bailed until September 24 for a pre-sentence report.