A building surveyor has been jailed for swindling the National Trust out of more than £1m through false invoices.
Roger Bryant, from Devon, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison on Friday after being convicted of 28 offences following a lengthy trial at Bristol Crown Court.
Bryant’s sons James and Scott were also found guilty of two charges in relation to them knowing or suspecting that the money generated for their own companies by their father was the proceeds of crime.
James Bryant was sentenced to four years in prison and Scott to two years suspended for 18 months.
A spokesperson for the National Trust said: “We are pleased with the outcome of the court case against Roger Bryant and sons, following a lengthy and detailed investigation by Devon and Cornwall Police and the Crown Prosecution Service.
“We trust our staff to do their jobs efficiently and honestly which is vitally important to an organisation responsible for looking after many different places in such a wide geographical area.
“We have all been very shocked at the crimes committed by a trusted member of staff.
“We are immensely grateful for the diligence of the teams involved in this legal process who include, former and current National Trust staff, National Trust tenants, contractors, suppliers and especially Devon and Cornwall Police, whom without such perseverance would not have seen these crimes brought to justice.”
The £1m has not been repaid to the National Trust.
‘Audacious and protracted’
Judge Burgess described Roger Bryant’s criminality as “audacious and protracted”, adding that he had abused his position of trust within the charity and that his sons were complicit in the offending.
A jury heard how Roger Bryant fraudulently submitted invoices to the National Trust for building work on its properties that was not completed, either in whole or in part.
Where some work did take place, it was not the work that had been specified on the schedule of works and was not of the standard expected by the charity, it heard.
Between January 2008 and October 2013, the National Trust believed it was paying two companies – JR Contracting in most instances and SB Construction in others – for work that had been completed.
During this time period the trust made 112 payments totalling £1.06m to two bank accounts, both controlled by James Bryant, in respect of invoices from JR Contracting.
Between February 2011 and October 2013, the trust made 36 payments totalling £64,200 after invoices from SB Construction.
By delivering guilty verdicts in respect of Scott and James Bryant, the jury was satisfied that both defendants knew the payments received by them were the proceeds of fraud.
In a separate fraud against the National Trust in 2013, Roger Bryant submitted invoices in relation to a real contractor for work supposedly carried out on National Trust properties when the work had been carried out on his own property.
‘Complex case’
Sian Mitchell from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “As an employee of the National Trust, Roger Bryant had been placed in a position of trust, which he breached, committing a significant fraud against them.
“At every stage of the investigation he tried to mislead investigators, attempting to hide paperwork and even trying to persuade witnesses to lie. However, the prosecution was able to build a robust case to prove beyond doubt that he was guilty.
“The National Trust is a registered charity and the money defrauded should have gone to help continue its good work and benefit the public.”
Detective inspector Adam Bond said: “This has been a complex case hindered by the passage of time but due to the support and assistance given by representatives of the National Trust, the CPS and prosecuting counsel, the jury who sat through nearly three months of evidence were able to pass guilty verdicts on all but three of the charges leading to today's sentences.
“I would especially like to thank the witnesses in this case who have persevered throughout what has been a very lengthy investigation.”
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