Suspended Sentence in the Face of Serious Fraud Charges

Ms. A worked for UCF, a community foundation charity as a freelancer, after she was let go due to budgetary cuts. Despite being let go, she agreed to work as a freelancer during a busy period, as she was determined to use her skills to help the community.  

Imagine her surprise when she was later arrested for fraud, and accused of stealing over £16,000 from the charity.  

Upon contacting us to represent her against the fraud charges, our fraud lawyers immediately sprang to action, determined to get to the truth of the matter. Our criminal defence solicitors conducted a thorough legal investigation, including meticulously analysing all the evidence submitted by the prosecution, working with financial experts to go through financial reports, and contacting other co-workers in the charity for witness statements. Our fraud lawyers discovered that the charity was lax in its security – though they accused her of using the company card for personal funds, the prosecution claimed that only one credit card was available. Our financial experts discovered that there were two, and one was unaccounted for.  

The prosecution also claimed that Ms. A stole from the petty cash tin, but witness statements revealed that the petty cash tin was unsecured and easy to access, and that Ms. A was not the only one who had access to it, but the financial assistant used it as well.  

Furthermore, Ms. A came from a very troubled background, and our fraud lawyers were careful and empathetic in their legal strategies to highlight that Ms. A had severe trauma from her family history and abusive relationships, and that she required help.  

During the trial, our criminal defence solicitors employed skilful and empathetic legal strategies to show the jury that Ms. A was well-meaning, hard-working, and of good character, and that there were several flaws in the prosecution’s argument. Despite our best attempts, the jury found her guilty of the fraud charges. Moved by our empathetic legal tactics, the judge decided to pass down a suspended sentence – which meant that our client avoided jail time, and had no other restrictions placed on her, essentially resulting in her freedom.  

Being accused of fraud within a company can be complicated, as there are multiple moving parts, accounts, and employees with access to company funds which can greatly muddy the search. If you or someone you know is in a similar situation, please don’t hesitate to contact us now. We’re here to help defend your rights and protect your interests.  

Afraid you won’t be able to cover your legal fees? Don’t be, we’re qualified Legal Aid solicitors. Call us today for a free no-obligation consultation. We’re available 24/7.