Former Constable goes on trial for fiddling the accounts

Tuesday 03 June 2014

A satellite dish, computer monitor, stereo headset and Wifi router were among the goods and equipment allegedly paid for by former St John Constable Graeme Butcher out of Parish funds, a jury was told yesterday.

The Royal Court trial of the former Constable for numerous counts of misconduct during his period of public office - from his election in December 2006 until he stepped down at the start of a police investigation in late 2011 - began yesterday as a jury was sworn in and heard the outline of the case against him.

He is also accused of using the Parish credit card and supplier accounts to purchase timber, paint and bathroom items to do up his St John property and improve his mobile home in France.

The court heard that some of the items, such as materials for the Parish Hall extension in 2009, were bought legitimately, but then "converted for his own use".

Butcher, who was described as a "well-off man" from his previous career as a property developer, had ordered a Parish credit card to enable him to purchase items at a discount off the Internet and had installed a multi-user software package, without Parish approval, so he could move around entries in the accounting system to hide evidence of his personal expenditure on items such as petrol and electrical goods.

Crown Advocate William Redgrave, who is prosecuting the case, admitted that Butcher was considered to be "hardworking and effective and successful in his job", but that he had taken "conscious decisions to charge the Parish for his things or to help himself to Parish property when he was not entitled to do so".

His conduct was grossly improper in a public official entrusted with public funds, said Redgrave. It was "dishonest", he added.

Butcher, who is also charged with falsifying an invoice to conceal his spending and of instructing the Parish Secretary to hide some of his accounting entries, denies all charges. He is also accused of dishonestly claiming £935.76 in out-of-pocket expenses, money it is alleged he saved up for his own personal use and used to pay off a decorator for carrying out painting work on his St John home. The sum paid in cash to the painter, and which included money held in an envelope at the Parish Hall, was described as ‘an interesting coincidence’ by the prosecution.

The trial continues.