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Jail for man who stole £170,000 to stop wife revealing he was gay (From Daily Echo)
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Jail for Christopher Brown who stole £170,000 from Dawsons shop to stop wife revealing he was gay
2:07pm Friday 22nd February 2013 in News
Christopher Brown
A HAMPSHIRE financial director who stole nearly £170,000 from his employers to pay crippling credit card debts has been jailed for two years.
Christopher Brown, 55, from Lymington, claimed that he took the money from luxury goods firm Dawsons to stop his then-wife Mandy from revealing he was gay.
Brown maintained he felt pressurised to live beyond his means after she discovered he had been making phone calls to gay chatlines - and threatened to expose his sexuality.
He told the jury at Bournemouth Crown Court: ''She took exception - I was desperate not to leave the family so I got into this financial mess.''
Brown split from his wife in 2003 and he started a new life in France with a male partner, with whom he set up a bed and breakfast business.
But he was forced to return to the UK from France last year after a European Arrest Warrant was issued.
Brown insisted he had not stolen the money from Dawsons - where he had worked for 23 years - but had borrowed it and repaid all but £35,000 of what he had taken.
The defendant, of Grafton Gardens, Lymington, was found guilty last month of four charges of theft, dated between 2000 and 2003.
The court heard Brown stole £169,733.33 from Dawsons where he was employed as finance director and had complete control over the firm's finances.
Brown wrote out 56 cheques with around £140,000 paid directly to credit card companies to meet his mounting debts. The remainder he paid into his own account.
An internal audit carried out while Brown was on holiday revealed a large discrepancy in the firm's accounts.
The other two directors confronted him on his return in November 2003 and Brown agreed to resign.
Prosecutor Audrey Archer told today's sentencing hearing: ''The defendant was in a high position of trust at his place of employment.
''The Crown submits these offences fall into the higher category because the defendant was in a position of a higher degree of trust.''
Brian Sharman, defending, said Brown - of previous good character - had been living with the offences hanging over him since the police first wanted to speak to him in 2006.
''This was offending committed with a very unusual set of circumstances,'' he said.
''It is perhaps not unreasonable that had these reasons not conspired in a perfect storm he would have remained, as he had for many years, an honest employee.''
Recorder James Watson QC said Brown's offending was so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate.
''You were convicted by a jury of theft. It was a substantial theft and it was a theft which took place over a substantial period,'' the judge said.
''It was also a theft which involved a substantial degree of dishonesty and breach of trust.
''I do take the view, despite the mitigation, this is a matter that I must pass an immediate custodial sentence.
''You choose to siphon off cash from the company business accounts to fund your personal accounts and your family.
''What you did was done in a clandestine way and the jury's verdict was that you were dishonest throughout the period.
''You knew full well what you were doing was dishonest. I am quite satisfied that you were deluding yourself in the early days in that you would be able to repay the money.
''It is a matter of deep regret that in a small company no one else had overview of what you were doing. A thorough audit may well have uncovered what you were doing.''
The judge said the case was ''unusual'' and added: ''I do take into account the pressures upon your life - your own sexuality - and the shame of being unable to admit to yourself your sexuality.''
The judge also ordered Brown to pay £4,800 prosecution costs.
The prosecution reserved its right to apply for the forfeiture of Brown's assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Brown's ex-wife, who was in court to see him sentenced, did not wish to comment afterwards.
Comments(25)
jonnyx
says...
3:09pm Fri 22 Feb 13
J.P.M
says...
3:12pm Fri 22 Feb 13
solomum wrote:I think you have lost the point - this is a lowlife thief and manipulator - not a victim
Why on earth do people carry out crimes to appease others? If his reasons for stealing are true and his dishonesty kept his wife quiet, then she is as guilty as he is and therefore should face the same charge as him. Also too, a charge for blackmail, as threatening to reveal he was gay unless he appeased her surely amounts to such. If the only way to keep a marriage/relationshi
p/friendship going is to be dishonest, then get out as the person you are trying to keep surely does not care for you one jot. I look forward to the day when people have enough respect for themselves to say NO to the nasty bullies that control them.
SPIKEISLANDTRADER
says...
3:20pm Fri 22 Feb 13
hulla baloo
says...
3:27pm Fri 22 Feb 13
solomum wrote:Any proof his wife tried to blackmail him, or just a ploy invented by the defence to try and get a lesser sentence?
Why on earth do people carry out crimes to appease others? If his reasons for stealing are true and his dishonesty kept his wife quiet, then she is as guilty as he is and therefore should face the same charge as him. Also too, a charge for blackmail, as threatening to reveal he was gay unless he appeased her surely amounts to such. If the only way to keep a marriage/relationshi
p/friendship going is to be dishonest, then get out as the person you are trying to keep surely does not care for you one jot. I look forward to the day when people have enough respect for themselves to say NO to the nasty bullies that control them.
J.P.M
says...
3:52pm Fri 22 Feb 13
jonnyx
says...
4:31pm Fri 22 Feb 13
SPIKEISLANDTRADER wrote:jesus what a grim post.
Plenty of nice boys willing to entertain him in prison , maybe a bus mans holiday for HIM , The inmates will think its xmas , santa daddy has landed
jonnyx
says...
5:29pm Fri 22 Feb 13
chunky_lover
says...
5:33pm Fri 22 Feb 13
J.P.M wrote:LOL - good posts guys!!
jonnyx wrote:I take offence at your use of symbols of worship, to signify outrage.
SPIKEISLANDTRADER wrote:jesus what a grim post.
Plenty of nice boys willing to entertain him in prison , maybe a bus mans holiday for HIM , The inmates will think its xmas , santa daddy has landed
solomum
says...
5:34pm Fri 22 Feb 13
hulla baloo wrote:Hence why I put 'If his reasons for stealing are true'. I fail to see why though he would get a lesser sentence if it is true as ultimately he commited the crime. However I do feel that his wife should also be investigated as to what her role in this really was, if any.
solomum wrote:Any proof his wife tried to blackmail him, or just a ploy invented by the defence to try and get a lesser sentence?
Why on earth do people carry out crimes to appease others? If his reasons for stealing are true and his dishonesty kept his wife quiet, then she is as guilty as he is and therefore should face the same charge as him. Also too, a charge for blackmail, as threatening to reveal he was gay unless he appeased her surely amounts to such. If the only way to keep a marriage/relationshi
p/friendship going is to be dishonest, then get out as the person you are trying to keep surely does not care for you one jot. I look forward to the day when people have enough respect for themselves to say NO to the nasty bullies that control them.
Georgem
says...
5:49pm Fri 22 Feb 13
solomum wrote:Also, who in this day and age cares if a financial director is gay?
Why on earth do people carry out crimes to appease others? If his reasons for stealing are true and his dishonesty kept his wife quiet, then she is as guilty as he is and therefore should face the same charge as him. Also too, a charge for blackmail, as threatening to reveal he was gay unless he appeased her surely amounts to such. If the only way to keep a marriage/relationshi
p/friendship going is to be dishonest, then get out as the person you are trying to keep surely does not care for you one jot. I look forward to the day when people have enough respect for themselves to say NO to the nasty bullies that control them.
bigfella777
says...
6:15pm Fri 22 Feb 13
eurogordi
says...
7:21pm Fri 22 Feb 13
Either way, the former Mrs Brown checks the phone bill and finds out what her husband has been doing. He is scared after being found out. She is scared of being rejected by her husband in preference for another man.
She demands cash to keep quiet ... he doesn't want to publicly come out so agrees. We're talking of Lymington where people have opposed the 99p Store and Wetherspoons and appearances have to be maintained in such a socialite town.
If this story was about Mr Huhne and Ms Pryce, I'm sure both parties would have been investigated in court!!
Lockssmart
says...
8:13pm Fri 22 Feb 13
chunky_lover wrote:What's J.P.M. Stand for?
J.P.M wrote:LOL - good posts guys!!
jonnyx wrote:I take offence at your use of symbols of worship, to signify outrage.
SPIKEISLANDTRADER wrote:jesus what a grim post.
Plenty of nice boys willing to entertain him in prison , maybe a bus mans holiday for HIM , The inmates will think its xmas , santa daddy has landed
Jesus Penetrated Me?
saintsalive1
says...
8:56pm Fri 22 Feb 13
cantthinkofone
says...
9:00pm Fri 22 Feb 13
bigfella777 wrote:Your gay what?
Yeah who cares if your gay?
jonnyx
says...
9:09pm Fri 22 Feb 13
J.P.M
says...
9:10pm Fri 22 Feb 13
cantthinkofone
says...
9:12pm Fri 22 Feb 13
J.P.M wrote:Good at defensive headers.
Anone know what dawsons do?
Lockssmart
says...
10:03pm Fri 22 Feb 13
Lockssmart
says...
10:38pm Fri 22 Feb 13
MGRA wrote:With you posting that, you are so true.
this thread wins the "most pr1cks" who post on thread competition.....
Georgem
says...
11:06pm Fri 22 Feb 13
SPIKEISLANDTRADER wrote:You watch too much TV. Or you have too many prison rape fantasies.
Plenty of nice boys willing to entertain him in prison , maybe a bus mans holiday for HIM , The inmates will think its xmas , santa daddy has landed
jonnyx
says...
11:23pm Fri 22 Feb 13
MGRA wrote:comedy gold.
this thread wins the "most pr1cks" who post on thread competition.....
cantthinkofone
says...
11:11am Sat 23 Feb 13
Georgem wrote::-D
SPIKEISLANDTRADER wrote:You watch too much TV. Or you have too many prison rape fantasies.
Plenty of nice boys willing to entertain him in prison , maybe a bus mans holiday for HIM , The inmates will think its xmas , santa daddy has landed
kingnotail
says...
7:15pm Sat 23 Feb 13
J.P.M wrote:Christ on a bike, chill out
jonnyx wrote:I take offence at your use of symbols of worship, to signify outrage.
SPIKEISLANDTRADER wrote:jesus what a grim post.
Plenty of nice boys willing to entertain him in prison , maybe a bus mans holiday for HIM , The inmates will think its xmas , santa daddy has landed
solomum says...
2:50pm Fri 22 Feb 13
p/friendship going is to be dishonest, then get out as the person you are trying to keep surely does not care for you one jot. I look forward to the day when people have enough respect for themselves to say NO to the nasty bullies that control them.