Dean and partner ‘swindled’ university

AN EDGE Hill University dean and his secret partner systematically swindled the institution – where they both worked – out of £500,000 through bogus invoices, it has been alleged.

Robert Smedley, Dean of the Faculty of Education, had recruited Christopher Joynson for a salaried post he created for him.

But he also authorised payments for his invoices for consultancy work on top for five years.

“The defendants were dishonest from the outset,” alleged Jacob Dyer, prosecuting.

For most of the time of the fraud Joynson was on the staff and specialising in teacher training. His combined income from his salary and the consultancy work was about £132,000 a year.

Smedley had created the post of Partnership Development Officer for Joynson and said that a Criminal Records Bureau check was not needed as the work did not involve going into schools.

But it did involve such activities and Smedley had been anxious to avoid a CRB check as he knew Joynson had two police cautions, one involving a pecuniary advantage by not telling a school he worked at about his first caution, alleged Mr Dyer.

“Joynson submitted invoices for work for which he was not entitled to be paid and he lied on his job application form. Smedley abused his position in authorising these fraudulent invoices, removing the requirement of a CRB check and failing to disclose his relationship with Joynson.”

Outlining the case he told the court, “Smedley abused his position as Dean by his involvement in the recruitment and promotion of Joynson and by authorising payment of invoices, which clearly amounted to dishonest claims.

“Unbeknown to anyone at the university the two defendants were in a relationship and Smedley received the benefit of a large proportion of the money fraudulently obtained by Joynson.

“Joynson was not entitled to those consultancy payments as he had either not done the work or, such work as he did, formed part of his employment for which he was already receiving a generous salary,” he claimed.

Smedley, 52, of Grange Farm Crescent, West Kirby, denies five fraud offences.

Joynson, 34, of Clocktower Apartments at Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland, denies four fraud charges. All the offences allegedly occurred between September 2009 and June 2014.

Mr Dyer has told the jury at Liverpool Crown Court that as well as being Dean and being responsible for financial management of the faculty, Smedley was also Pro Vice Chancellor at the time, an executive role ranking below Edge Hill’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

In June 2014, by which time Joynson’s salary was £53,566, the university’s Director of Finance reviewed supplier payments and noticed a significant amount to CJ Consultants. Normally the list would include payments over £50,000 but this time he reviewed payments over £10,000.

It was discovered that £20,000 to CJ Consultants was going into Joynson’s personal account and that he was a salaried member of staff.

The director emailed Smedley querying this and he replied he had approved that work and there had been checks with the taxman and “the consultancy work was different and carried out at weekends, holidays etc.”

But by early July it was found that Joynson had been paid £107,015 over three years through the CJ Consultants invoices and further investigation showed payments had actually been paid for a longer period.

“It was also discovered he had invoiced the university through another organisation he had set up called Forward Education,” said Mr Dyer.

From September 2009 to June 2014 Joynson invoiced the university for £513,894 both as CJ Consultants and Forward Education over four financial years.

Mr Dyer said that “no doubt” Joynson had carried out some work on behalf of the university– paid at the top hourly rate – but it was impossibly to accurately gauge.

‘‘The prosecution say that Smedley abused his position in authorising payment for this work without any procurement process and without revealing their relationship.”

He claimed that there was nothing to indicate to the university that Forward Education was connected to Joynson, and the staff who allegedly worked for it did not exist. “It was set up in order to disguise the fact that large sums of money were being paid to Joynson.”

Meanwhile Smedley was instrumental in securing various promotions and pay rises for him despite his lack of experience and poor qualifications, he alleged.

When Smedley resigned in July 2014 he accepted that approving Joynson’s consultancy work had been “highly inappropriate.” He accepted he had never asked permission for a full-time employee to deliver additional out-of-hours work.

In his resignation letter Joynson said he had been advised he only needed to declare convictions – not cautions – and, once employed, senior managers were aware of his consultancy work and were supportive and appreciative.

When interviewed by police both men refused to admit they were in a relationship, said Mr Dyer.

The case continues.