Man who took on four council jobs at once jailed

Bryn Howells was prosecuted by Tewkesbury Borough Council

A man who made nearly a quarter of a million pounds by moonlighting in four different jobs at multiple councils has been jailed for three years.

Bryn Howells, 66, was employed by Tewkesbury Borough Council, South Gloucestershire Council and Publica Group - a company providing services on behalf of three district councils.

Howells, of Ebley in Stroud, failed to disclose his existing employment when taking on new roles and submitted false timesheets, gaining a salary and benefits totalling £236,000.

Jailing him at Gloucester Crown Court on Thursday, Judge Malcom Gibbney told him he had "made hay while the sun shined" in the knowledge local authorities were not checking on him.

At trial Howells denied wrongdoing, said his actions, between February 2022 and June 2023, had been motivated by a desire to support local councils where skilled staff were in short supply.

He also claimed any failure to declare his employment to each council was an "unintentional oversight", and the hours declared on his timesheets were - in his mind - hours he made himself "available" for work.

Howells simultaneously held the roles of strategic housing and enabling officer, senior development surveyor, and valuer and estates surveyor.

He said none of the councils had incurred a loss, because he had always completed his work.

'Head in the sand'

But Tewkesbury Borough Council, which prosecuted the case, said Howells had dishonestly misled councils knowing he would not have been appointed if they knew he planned to retain full-time employment elsewhere.

He was convicted in July of six counts of fraud by false representation and three counts of fraud by failing to disclose information.

Sentencing him, Judge Gibbney said: "It's clear that when you did work, the work was good. You are an experienced man in your profession. You are a man with a passion for your job.

"You took the view this was an opportunity to make hay while the sun shined and you could earn significant sums of money doing work for local authorities confident in the knowledge they weren't as diligent in establishing you were doing all that was set you."

The judge rejected Howells' claim that the councils had not suffered loss, telling him: "You did not do in any given week, three lots or four lots of 37 hours."

Judge Gibbney added: "You have effectively put your head in the sand as far as this is concerned when it comes to accepting your actions were dishonest."