A university worker who stole £2.4 million over 30 years from his job and puffed the money on “fine feed and holidays” has been jailed.
David Hall used his situation as head of a report at the University of Brighton, East Sussex, to embezzle money over three electrical and protect his tracks through fraudulent entries.
Jailing the 64-year-old, a judge stamps the scale of his fraudulent bustle as “breath-taking”.
His Honour Judge Roger Chapple doom Hall to six years in a stir at Hove Crown Court after a joint inquiry by police and money investigators.
Hall, of Ringmer, East Sussex, had early admitted to fraud charges by abuse of position, theft by an artisan and false accounting.
The court heard Hall exploit his sport as the university head of remuneration and payments and engulf his activities through fraud in the university’s accounts.
The matter was caused to Sussex police in November of 2021 after labour at the university discovered the fraudulent activity.
The university commissioned a maverick financial investigation, which, alongside the police investigation, uncovered a complex cord of financial cover-ups.
Hall told the court his fraud arose to cover his debts.
However, Judge Chapple charged Hall his actions had been case by greed.
He told him: “The scale and span of your untruth over 30 years is breathtaking.
“Systematic, persistent dishonesty created stress, heartache and load on other employees.
“Where did it go? On holidays and fine dining.”
Hall was hold for six years for his offences – a reduced sentence due to his pleading guilty to his crimes at the preliminary opportunity.
A confiscation order also focuses on Hall’s illicit get funds, though the money stolen is likely to be recovered.
Rose Horan, an explorer for Sussex Police, said after the sentencing hearing: “The university’s crash statement categorised the injury done, including its impact on fellow staff.
A former university finance chief has been incarcerated after admitting to stealing £2.4 million over 30 years in a ‘magnificent’ and ‘sophisticated’ accounting fraud.
David Hall, 64 and from Ringmer, East Sussex, used his senior Sport at the University of Brighton to steal cash cool from students and the institution’s catering outlets.
Asked if he was loath of his crimes, as he come at Hove Crown Court this morning (16 March), Hall replied: “Er, yes.”
Sentencing him to six years incarceration, His Honour Judge Roger Chapple advise Hall that the “scale and breadth” of the duplicity was “frankly breathtaking” and had an “enormous impact” on Professions and students.
The 64-year-old was the University of Brighton’s Audio of Income and Payments when the reckon fraud was learn, in November 2021, during an internal audit.
The court heard that for 30 years, Hall had been abstract cash collected by the university and covering his tracks by fraudulently changing ledgers and accounts to designate that cheques and other invoices had been paid to balance the books.
In a victim smash statement read to the court, the University of Brighton said the loss to the institution was “centre more than the cash value” expected to inflation and missed slot to invest the funds.
The statement added: “[The theft] directly impacted the experience we would have been clever to provide our students over the last 30 years.”
The well-being of Hall’s former colleagues had been affected, with some staff describing not sleeping correctly, and others offered counsel.
The court heard that the university’s insurance policies did not cover the financial losses, with the judge deferring a requisition hearing until later in the Year.
Defence lawyer Tom Nicholson Pratt said Hall had consume the stolen cash on “holidays and fine eat”, and despite credit card debts, the primary motivation for the cheat was “boosting his self-esteem”, but the ultimate result had been to “pull down
himself”.
“He desire to apologise to his family, his university colleagues and the students whom he knows he’s let down so awfully,” Mr Nicholson Pratt told the court that his client would assist with future business to recoup some of the funds.
Passing a total ruling of six years, His Honour Judge Roger Chapple said: “The lamina and breadth of your falsity over 30 years is frankly breathtaking.”
He added: “Your dishonesty enormously damages the University of Brighton as well as sport, heartbreak and load on your colleagues.
“I pass decree on behalf of the law-abiding, decent public who face financial trouble a day in, day out but would not fantasy of committing such criminal offences…You were prompt by greed, pure and simple.”
Prosecution lawyer, Tim Devlin, told the court the crimes were a “quite sophisticated case of false accounting”.
Hall had untimely admitted the offences of fraud by abuse of position, theft by an worker and false accounting at a trial at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on 16 February.
At the time, Sussex Police analyst Rose Horan said: “Year after Year, the pit in the university’s finances became more extensive and more difficult for Hall to conceal.
“After an audit bare the scale of Hall’s embezzlement, the University of Brighton quickly reported the fraud to Sussex Police. Their support round the investigation has been key in bringing David Hall to justice.”
In a declaration, a University of Brighton spokesperson said: “David Hall exploited his position and betrayed the trust of his colleagues for his gain.
