Newcastle polygraph test used for theft case

Newcastle polygraph test used for theft case. A council employee is under suspicion of stealing equipment from work to fund his drug addiction.

The Case

A Newcastle City Council supervisor who stole thousands of pounds of equipment to fund his drug addiction is now due to pay back the full amount.

Karl Ellison, who has worked at Newcastle City Council for over 25 years, stole almost £100,000 of equipment from his employer.

Stealing from work

The court heard his role as a warehouse boss involved him ordering materials for internal departments – he ordered high-value items from suppliers, collected them himself and then sold them on and pocketed the proceeds.

In his latest hearing, at which he was not present, it was said he has stolen £98,940.

The 53-year-old, of Ilfracombe Gardens, Whitley Bay, is now to pay back the full amount, £98,940, under the Proceeds of Crime Act. The court heard the money is already in the possession of prosecutors.

The judgement

Judge Christopher Prince said: “Your offending demonstrated considerable determination. It was a great breach of trust and occurred over a significant period of time”.

“Councils desperately require the funds they have to put towards personal protective equipment. It is a very significant amount of money you stole from Newcastle City Council.”

Matthew Purves, defending, said he was buying and selling the items “almost to order”.

“This was a consequence of his significant drug misuse and addiction,” he told the court.

“He had spent a little less than 30 years working for the council and appeared to be a hard-working, trustworthy and loyal employee but along the way of his life he suffered a number of hardships and losses.”

The outcome

Mr Purves said Ellison, who fell into depression and anxiety after losing his parents, is remorseful and has taken steps to address his addiction.

Last September, Ellison was sentenced to 27 months at Newcastle Crown Court for fraud that occurred from January 2020 and March 2021.

Polygraph testing

In conclusion, employers including government sectors are now looking into polygraph testing as part of their screening process. It is no surprise that the rise of private lie detector tests for employment is apparent. Firstly, employees often deal with financialfigures. Secondly, data handling is a massive part in most roles. Finally, employers and clients feel that they have a right to trust their employees based on lie detector test results.

If you wish to use our services as part of your employment screening process, we offer private and professional testing all across the UK. You can book your test online using our booking form, or call our free helpline on 0800 268 8277 to discuss our services further.