A UNISON branch official who stole more than £80,000 from the union and from the NHS, in “brazen fraudulent activity”, was today (Thursday April 14) starting a 28-month prison sentence.

Tanya Tucker, who now faces being disqualified as a serving member of Bishop Auckland Town Council, was convicted on seven counts of fraud by abuse of position after a recent two-week trial at Durham Crown Court.

Two of the counts, for sums in excess of £28,000, were committed as an employee of the North England Commissioning Support Unit (NECS) of the NHS, and five as an official of Unison’s Northern Regional Health Commissioning branch, based at John Snow House in Durham.

The offences were committed between June 2013 and September 2017, during which she was the Unison branch secretary, and also its treasurer, from 2015.

During the trial, the prosecution stated that the money gained from the frauds helped the 57-year-old mother-of-two, of Walker Drive, Bishop Auckland, to pay for her honeymoon, a car, for hotel stays, plus personal shopping and restaurant bills.

She gave various accounts for the expenditure and said some were by way of legitimate expenses, but she could not account for the disappearance of a box, in which she claimed she stored her receipts, from John Snow House.

Tucker, formerly Tanya Watson, was suspended from her job in November 2018 and dismissed following disciplinary proceedings in October 2019.

Having given ‘no comment’ replies in police interview, which she said was on legal advice, she maintained her innocence during her trial, stressing she felt any money made was deserved because of the time and effort she put in to help members across the country.

After the verdicts, in which she was cleared on an eighth count of fraud, Judge James Adkin adjourned sentence for preparation of a Probation Service report on Tucker but warned her she faced a probable custodial outcome.

On her return to court for sentence today, Ian West, prosecuting, confirmed the value on the seven counts on which she was convicted was in excess of £80,000.

He said aggravating features included the abuse of position and trust, the long period over which the frauds were committed, the deliberate planning and exclusion, or side-lining, of other branch officials, plus the detrimental impact on the union.

Victim statements were read to the court from two officials outlined how her actions severely dented union funds and cast a shadow of suspicion over the branch, from which it is only now starting to recover.

Nicholas Askins, for Tucker, said it was her first ever conviction and would lead to her first experience of custody.

Mr Askins told the court his client, who he said has some health and mental health issues, has made, “a positive contribution to the community”, by way of both voluntary work and as a union representative.

Judge Adkin told tucker: “You used your status as a branch secretary to claim for personal expenditure, disguising them as personal expenses, forging signatures and covering your activities by entering false entries.

“It was, in my view, brazen fraudulent activity to fund your lifestyle, with efforts to dispose of evidence, by way of disappearing receipts before a Unison inspector could get his hands on them.”

Read more: Bishop Auckland's Tanya Tucker GUILTY after defrauding NHS and Unison £67k

He said her actions deprived Unison of funds it could have used for the benefit of members, as well as the reputational damage.

Imposing a 28-month immediate sentence, of which Tucker must serve up to half in custody, with the remainder on licence, Judge Adkin also put in motion proceeds of crime inquiries, with a confiscation hearing at a date to be fixed.

The imposition of an immediate prison sentence makes Tucker, a former Durham county councillor, liable to disqualification as a town councillor, a position she was elected to as a Liberal Democrat candidate in September.

It is understood she has been sitting recently as an independent.

Town clerk Sarah Harris confirmed an extraordinary meeting of the council would be called in due course, when a decision will be taken on the disqualification.

A notice of vacancy will then be declared, which may lead to an election or a co-option to the council depending on notices of interest.

Speaking after the case, fraud investigator, Detective Constable Ali Blackett, of Durham Police's economic crime unit said: “Fraud is a despicable crime that can have far-reaching consequences for victims especially for vital organisation such as the NHS.

“Tucker not only abused her position of trust in both organisations but went to great lengths to hide her deceit so it is satisfying to see justice served.”

 

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