Expert avoids jail for £30k hearing aid fraud

An audiologist stole his employer's customers by selling them his own hearing aids and pocketing almost £30,000, a judge heard.

David Taylor's job was to dispense hearing aids for Scrivens, which is based in Rugeley.

But he took advantage of mainly elderly customers by supplying them with devices he had sourced himself and getting them to make out cheques he could cash.Mr Pat Sullivan, prosecuting, said nine customers were duped and the total amount of money involved was £29,118.

Taylor, aged 34, of Nymet, Tamworth, admitted four charges of fraud and two of altering cheques. He was given a ten-month prison sentence, suspended for two years and ordered to do 200 hours unpaid community work and pay £1,200 costs.

Judge Paul Glenn told him: "You breached the trust of your employers. You stole their customers. You took advantage of your position and, to a lesser extent, took advantage of elderly customers."

Mr Sullivan said the manager of Scrivens had to explain to customers and some of them were really upset. "It must have had a damaging effect on the company's profile."

When questioned, Taylor said he regarded the offence as a civil wrong rather than a criminal one. On occasions, he felt his products were more suited to customers needs.

One customer did complain and Taylor refunded her money out of his own pocket.

Mr Chris Clark, defending, said Taylor had come to an arrangement with the firm's solicitors to pay back £26,000.

"He maintains malice towards his ex-employers was not his motive, but to provide a better service. What he wasn't able to provide was the trade stamp of approval from an established firm. He now accepts his actions were legally and morally wrong."