Council worker who earned £230k juggling four jobs convicted of fraud
Bryn Howells, from Ebley in Stroud, Gloucestershire, submitted false time sheets, misrepresented his hours to his employers and failed to declare his multiple jobs.
Gloucester crown court heard that between February 2022 and June 2023 Howells was employed as strategic housing and enabling officer at Tewkesbury borough council, senior development surveyor at South Gloucestershire council and valuer and estates surveyor at Publica Group — a delivery organisation set up by four other councils.
In total he received salaries and other benefits of approximately £236,000, the court heard.
It was said that Howells also held a fourth role with another local authority via an agency but this employment was not included in the case.
Howells told the court he was not motivated by money or greed but instead a desire to 'work as many hours as possible' to help stretched and understaffed councils lacking in expertise.
He claimed that his failure to declare his other employment to each council was an 'unintentional oversight' and the false hours he declared on his time sheets were actually the hours that he was available to work.
The prosecution said that Howells had been dishonest and he was aware that he would have faced action if he declared his other jobs.
The fraud was uncovered through a review of payroll data by the Tewkesbury borough council's Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit (CFEU), as part of the Cabinet Office's National Fraud Initiative (NFI).
At the time Howells was still employed by Tewkesbury borough council and Publica Group, having recently resigned from South Gloucestershire council.
A disciplinary investigation was launched alongside a criminal investigation by the CFEU. Howells was suspended by both remaining employers and later resigned before disciplinary hearings could take place.
The crackdown followed an increase in employees working from home since the pandemic creating a surge in those with two or more full-time jobs without their workplaces being aware.
In April, the NFI said it had identified 23 cases in preliminary investigations of London boroughs and discovered half a million pounds of overpaid salaries over a period of a few months.
Simon Dix, Tewkesbury borough council's executive director of resources, said: 'We are deeply disappointed by Mr Howells's actions, which fell far short of the standards expected of public servants.'By receiving four publicly funded salaries and benefits, Mr Howells's conduct was wholly dishonest and represents a serious breach of trust and misuse of public funds.'
Howells is due to be sentenced on August 28. The councils involved are seeking to recover salary and pension and national insurance contributions.
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