Former police worker ordered to pay back £60k for his fraudulent action

A former West Yorkshire Police employee has been ordered to pay back £59,816.24 in compensation after stealing money from Huddersfield police station’s evidence locker.

Andrew Roberts, 56, was imprisoned for four years in April 2021 at Leeds Crown Court for seven counts of fraud by abusing his position.

Roberts was in a position of trust, with the duty to ensure that all property received at the police station was recorded, kept safe and properly accounted for. The property included money seized from arrested people, but also money taken from an elderly lady for safekeeping.

Roberts used his position to steal £100,000 in cash from the evidence store over a five-year period.

The CPS Proceeds of Crime Division worked with the West Yorkshire Police Financial Investigation Unit to identify Roberts’s assets. These included his interest in the matrimonial home, and monies from his pension, which he had gifted to his wife.

On 13 January 2023 the CPS secured a Confiscation Order for £59,816.28 against Roberts after the Judge determined that his total criminal benefit was £166,824.16 and that he had £59,816.28 available assets to pay his order.

Adrian Foster, Chief Crown Prosecutor, said: “Andrew Roberts stole money from evidence at a police station where he was employed. His greed had a direct impact on justice with two cases being dropped after it became clear that he had tampered with the evidence.

“Where criminals fail to pay the orders made against them, the CPS will robustly pursue them for the money they owe, asking that default prison sentences are imposed where necessary.

“In the last five years over £530 million has been recovered from CPS obtained Confiscation Orders, ensuring that thousands of convicted criminals cannot profit from their offending. £118m of that amount has been returned to victims of crime, by way of compensation.”