Council manager stole £120,000 worth of laptops and iPads

A council manager who stole laptops and iPads earmarked for vulnerable people during the pandemic has been ordered to carry out unpaid work.

Bobby Lee Smith, 37, from East Kilbride, a manager at Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), oversaw applications for a project that gave out electronic devices to low-income individuals.

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard he abused his position and stole 129 Chromebooks and 301 iPads worth a combined value of £124,644.

He was found guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court, and ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work.

He was also given a restriction of liberty order for nine months and made the subject of a community payback order.

Smith's job as a health improvement lead ensured he was responsible for the management and delivery of any goods to the Glasgow City HSCP's service users.

This group included those on low incomes and others who were "digitally excluded".

Smith recorded on a spreadsheet the number of devices allocated to various groups including Restart Mental Health Services, children services and parenting services.

However, police were called in after an investigation by NHS counter fraud officers identified that 301 iPads and 129 laptops were missing from the data and could not be accounted for.

Some devices were delivered to Smith's parents' home as well as his own.

Out of 22 organisations that were due to receive the equipment from Glasgow City HSCP, only four matched in terms of what was purportedly issued to them and what was received.

A total of 119 devices were never recovered.

Fraser Gibson, procurator fiscal for Glasgow and Strathkelvin, said Smith had "committed an egregious betrayal of trust".

"He took advantage of his position to embezzle equipment that was set aside to help some of the most vulnerable people in our society," he said.

"He showed no regard for the impact his crimes would have on those adults and children who relied on support from Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership.

"Embezzlement is not a victimless crime. People who commit such crimes can expect to be held to account by prosecutors and the courts."