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Fraud 'helped cause loss of jobs' Fraud 'helped cause loss of jobs'
(about 19 hours later)
An engineer's fraud may have helped in the closure of the Belfast Visteon factory with the loss of more than 200 jobs, Belfast Crown Court has heard.An engineer's fraud may have helped in the closure of the Belfast Visteon factory with the loss of more than 200 jobs, Belfast Crown Court has heard.
The court was told Philip Carlin, 45, spent eight of his 20 years at the former Ford motor plant working a scam which netted him almost £750,000.The court was told Philip Carlin, 45, spent eight of his 20 years at the former Ford motor plant working a scam which netted him almost £750,000.
Carlin, of Marlborough Park South, Belfast, was jailed for three years.Carlin, of Marlborough Park South, Belfast, was jailed for three years.
The court heard that while the fraud was not the only reason for the closure it may well have been the final straw.The court heard that while the fraud was not the only reason for the closure it may well have been the final straw.
Judge Tom Burgess told Carlin, who agreed to serve a year on probation following his release, that the only mitigation in his favour was his plea of guilty to the 122 charges of fraud and criminal proceeds. Judge Tom Burgess told Carlin, who agreed to serve a year on probation following his release, that the only mitigation in his favour was his guilty plea to the 122 charges of fraud and criminal proceeds.
The impact on the company can only be described as disastrous Prosecution lawyer
A prosecution lawyer told the court that until suspicions were first raised in September 2007, Carlin had "exploited" a weakness he had uncovered in the plant's parts-ordering receipts and payments system.
He said Carlin used the flawed system from 1999 to "extract monies from the company via fraudulently ordering of parts" by either approving them himself or getting superiors to sign for them on his recommendation.
Carlin then created false invoices, in the name of three fictitious firms, both on his own computer and on his work's computers for the parts which never existed, he said.
"The impact on the company can only be described as disastrous," the Crown lawyer added.
In April 2009, Visteon's plant in west Belfast closed with the loss of 200 jobs. The US firm took over the former Ford plant in 2000.
Sacked workers staged a month-long sit-in at the plant to secure improved redundancy terms.
'Remorseful'
Carlin's lawyer acknowledged this "behaviour did not help" the troubled plant, but said it should be viewed in the context of Visteon's debts of £600m.
However, she said Carlin was "remorseful", adding that the effect of his offending on his family and fellow employees "is all too apparent".
His actions severely damaged the reputation of the plant in the eyes of those who ultimately decided the plant's fate from the corporation in the USA John ScottFormer Visteon manager
She said that while Carlin "frittered" most of the money away, it was "inevitable" he would lose his family home as part of any proceeds of crime hearing.
The defence lawyer said if it had not been for the economic slump, his existing assets would have outstripped the money to be repaid so he would obtain "zero benefit".
The Belfast Recorder said a letter written by a former plant manufacturing manager highlighted the "direct or indirect impact" of Carlin's greed.
Former manager John Scott wrote that because of the scam, the reputation of the plant suffered further damage "in the eyes of senior management" in the US and also reflected badly on the Belfast management team.
"In summary, Philip Carlin's actions had a significant financial impact to the plant's profitability and his actions severely damaged the reputation of the plant in the eyes of those who ultimately decided the plant's fate from the corporation in the USA," he wrote in a victim impact letter.
Judge Burgess said Carlin was motivated by "greed", using the money to pay for expensive holidays and a holiday home in Donegal.
The Recorder adjourned compensation proceedings until a later date, which could see then father of three losing the family home as well as the Donegal retreat.
He accepted Carlin had expressed "remorse and shame" for what he had done.