Pair who defrauded PEH on food orders avoid jail
THE Princess Elizabeth Hospital could have been losing money for up to eight years through fraud in the food supply chain, the Magistrate's Court heard.
Hospital storeman Adam Mourant, 33, and Manor Farm Foods director Andrew Batiste, 48, admitted conspiring on two occasions in December to defraud the hospital.
The charges relate to invoices being paid for goods that were not received – the men amended the quantities of food via text messages afterwards.
This resulted in overcharges of £257.66 and £467.65.
The Magistrate's Court heard yesterday how the men had given different accounts to police of what had gone on, with Batiste saying their scam had persisted for eight years, though his co-defendant denied that.
Judge Graeme McKerrell said he could sentence only on the two matters which were before the court and the prosecution were not contending that they were specimen charges.
Sentencing the pair to both carry out 120 hours' community service, as a direct alternative to three months in prison, Judge McKerrell said he recognised Batiste's candour.
He could treat him as a man of previously good character and Mourant had only traffic matters on his record.
