'Spite' led to fraud accusations

Former CAB manager Sally Foster and her husband Dale deny the charges

A Citizens' Advice Bureau (CAB) worker accused of fraud claimed in court he did the work of at least three people.

Dale Foster, 65, said managers had made the accusations out of "spite" because he and his wife were taking the bureau to an employment tribunal.

Mr Foster and his manager wife Sally, 48, both from Swansea, are accused of taking £650,000 from the CAB in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire.

The couple, on trial at Swansea Crown Court, deny theft and false accounting.

Mrs Foster managed the branch and her husband ran courses and maintained information technology systems.

He claimed in court he did the work of at least three people. He said his annual salary was around £32,000 but that he did case work, provided a case work service, was a case work supervisor and carried the title of advice services manager.

He estimated a case worker would normally have been paid £23,000 and a supervisor £29,000, intimating the CAB received £84,000 of work for his salary.

Plasma screen

The court heard following his arrest, Mr Foster told police during one interview the couple were claiming constructive dismissal because the management committee had not acted on numerous complaints made by Mrs Foster about personnel difficulties.

In his opinion, the chair of the trustees and possibly other members of the committee could be facing liability for compensation.

He accused the committee of acting out of spite and malice in calling in the police.

The prosecution say as part of the fraud the Fosters paid themselves £76,000 in expenses between 2001 and 2006.

The couple are also accused of spending almost £4,500 of CAB cash on a large plasma screen television.

It was eventually found by police over the mantelpiece of the couple's home.

Questioned about the TV, Mr Foster claimed he had bought it for the CAB office to use as an aid to training.

When he was told that the screen was too big for the attic room used for training he said it had been a mistake.

He told police that as a result, the couple had bought the TV from the CAB themselves, paying the full price.

Bogus invoices

The court heard no such payment from the couple's account could be traced by police.

The couple are also accused of submitting bogus invoices in the name of a fictitious company.

The court has previously heard the Fosters spent the money on high living, including champagne, fine wine, holidays, jewellery, fine art, hotels and furniture.

An accountant for the CAB became suspicious of the couple when he was called in to examine the books.

Mr and Mrs Foster deny 11 charges of theft and six of false accounting.

Their alleged outgoings included a £17,000 ski trip to Whistler in Canada, a stay at the Ritz in London, and shopping trips to Harrods and Harvey Nichols.

The trial continues.