Ex-Gloucestershire fire chief made 'error of judgment' over auction bid

Birmingham Crown Court has heard an allegation that Stewart Edgar also dishonestly turned down a £8,250 bid for the 17-year-old vehicle

A former county fire chief has told a court that he "didn't think it was wrong" to bid for a brigade vehicle in an auction he was running.

Stewart Edgar, 53, is accused of abusing his position to fraudulently buy a Land Rover by using a third-party company to place the winning £500 bid.

He said he felt the bidding process was "ok" at the time, but later felt he had "made a serious error of judgment".

The ex-Gloucestershire fire chief denies fraud by abuse of position.

Prosecutor Robin Shellard asked Mr Edgar, of Braehead Drive, Carnoustie, Angus, if he had considered any "conflict of interest".

'Error of judgment'

He replied: "At that stage I didn't think it was wrong. But I did eventually take responsibility and I resigned from my post because I felt as though I had made a serious error of judgment."

"At the time I thought it was ok, and no conflict of interest," he added.

He was also asked about how he had given differing accounts of how the sale had come about to senior colleagues, once the matter was made subject of an internal investigation.

"I've done a fair bit of reflection and I've been working with my psychologist about these episodes, and my psychologist has said it is normal when you're in a sort of flight mode to not tell the truth," he said.

'Wasn't thinking straight'

In response, Mr Shellard said: "It isn't a question of not telling the truth - what you told was an elaborate and deliberate lie, you see, which is different from not telling the truth?"

Mr Edgar said at the time his mind was "all over the place" and that he "wasn't thinking straight".

He told jurors he had been diagnosed with depression since resigning in 2018.

"I lost my job, my reputation, everything," Mr Edgar added.

The trial continues.