Man found guilty of pocketing public funds while working four council jobs
A man has been convicted of fraud after secretly juggling four separate jobs across multiple councils and raking in a six-figure salary from public funds.
Bryn Howells, from Ebley in Stroud, Gloucestershire, pulled in £236,000 in salary and benefits between February 2022 and June 2023 by working simultaneously for Tewkesbury Borough Council, South Gloucestershire Council, and Publica Group – a company delivering services for three local authorities. A fourth council role, obtained via an agency, was not included in the prosecution.
He kept quiet about his existing employment while applying for new posts and submitted false timesheets, claiming he was available to work when he was actually committed elsewhere, reports the BBC.
Mr Howells is due to be sentenced on August 28 for what one council branded a "serious breach of trust and misuse of public funds."
During his trial at Gloucester Crown Court, Howells insisted he didn't intend to mislead anyone and denied being motivated by money. He claimed he was simply trying to help councils struggling with staff shortages and that any failure to disclose his other jobs was an 'unintentional oversight.'
He told the court he believed the hours logged on timesheets represented time he was 'available' rather than actively working.
But prosecutors described his actions as 'nothing short of dishonest' and said that if any of the councils had known about his other full-time roles, they would not have hired him.
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The roles he held included strategic housing and enabling officer, senior development surveyor, and valuer and estates surveyor.
The fraud came to light after a routine payroll review by Tewkesbury Borough Council's counter-fraud team.
Simon Dix, executive director of resources at the council, said: 'We are deeply disappointed by Mr Howells' actions, which fell far short of the standards expected of public servants.
"By receiving four publicly funded salaries and benefits, Mr Howells' conduct was wholly dishonest and represents a serious breach of trust and misuse of public funds.
"We have a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and take matters of integrity extremely seriously.
"We have reviewed our internal procedures to help prevent similar incidents in the future.'
The councils involved are now seeking to recover salaries, pension payments, and national insurance contributions linked to the deception.
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