Finance Chief Jailed For Swindling Two Non-Profit's He Exploited

The financial controller of two separate non-profit organisations, who defrauded them of £41,955, has been jailed for three years and two months.

Richard David Bobath, 53, of Moreland Drive, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire was employed by the British Polio Fellowship (BPF) a registered charity and then the British Institute of Radiology (BIR).

On both occasions he exploited the organisations' lax financial controls to transfer thousands of pounds to his own account or abuse their banks cards to treat himself to foreign trips.

Isleworth Crown Court Judge Robert Winstanley told the first-time offender: “You are not the slightest bit remorseful for any of this offending. You abused your position of trust and the offending was sophisticated and involved planning.”

Bobath pleaded guilty to one count of defrauding the BPF by abuse of position between July 16 and September 5, 2011 and was convicted by a jury of two counts of fraud relating to the BIR between February 13 and October 25, 2012.

The court heard he started working for the BPF on January 27, 2010 and by March 31, 2011 he was in control of the organisation's financial affairs until he left on September 13, that year.

An audit following his departure revealed Bobath had re-activated one of the BPF's dormant bank accounts and persuaded an elderly trustee to sign a bank mandate in his favour.

Bobath, who was employed at their HQ at Eagle Point, The Runway, South Ruislip, then wrote seven cheques to himself, totalling £17,825.

He was arrested and quizzed by officers at Uxbridge Police Station on January 13, 2012. “You pointed the finger of blame at others at the BPF,” Judge Winstanley told him.

Meanwhile Bobath had been hired by the BIR in November, 2011 as their financial manager. “It was facing insolvency, running at a loss and making people redundant,” added the judge.

“There were poor financial controls, which you were hired to set-up, but you took advantage and exploited that to your own ends.”

While the BIR's CEO was on leave because her father was dying Bobath set-up pre-paid Kalixa cards for the finance, admin and events departments and used them to spent £8,500.

“You used those cards to withdraw cash for yourself, to shop and buy goods for yourself at Stanstead Airport and in Italy and with P&O Ferries.”

Bobath was sacked in October, 2012 after a BPF tip-off to his boss, however, using his old key he gained access to his former office one night and transferred £15,630 to his bank account.

He tried to cover his tracks by forging documents indicating he was owed money by the BIR to justify the extra cash and sent a bogus email purportedly from his old boss approving the payment.

Bobath even faked an email, which gave him a “glowing reference” for the original BPF fraud sentencing hearing.

The married father-of-two has not paid a penny in compensation, but told the court relative was prepared to cover the losses.