Cirencester: Former council manager cleared of fraud and theft

A former council revenue and compliance manager accused of fraud and theft of public money has been acquitted.

Thomas Clark, of Victoria Road, Brimscombe, was charged with stealing £120 from Cotswold District Council and wiping off a £280 council tax debt owed by a friend to West Oxfordshire District Council.

On Friday the 34-year-old was cleared by a jury at Gloucester Crown Court.

Judge Recorder Malcolm Gibney told him: "You are free to go."

'Never acted dishonestly'

Mr Clark was accused of three charges of fraud by abuse of position and one of theft during his five-day trial, which took place at the Cirencester Courthouse.

The allegations took place between February 2018 and April 2019, when Mr Clark worked as a manager for the Publica Group - a business set up to provide services to several local councils in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire.

The prosecution had claimed that Mr Clark acted in a "calculated, deceptive and covert" way.

He denied the allegations and said that although he had made mistakes, he never acted dishonestly.

'Best newcomer award'

Mr Clark said he had never previously faced any complaint, disciplinary proceedings or prosecution during his local government career working for councils in Scarborough, Berkshire, Surrey and Oxfordshire.

He had been awarded the Cotswold District Council "best newcomer award" soon after joining and had thought "I was doing quite well" in his career, he added.

During the trial the judge made a legal ruling that there was insufficient evidence to convict on the first fraud charge, relating to the West Oxfordshire Council case.

He then directed jurors to find Mr Clark not guilty of that count.

The remaining three charges were determined by the jury after they retired for less than an hour.

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