Contractor fined £4,000 for fraud at local school

Contractor fined £4,000 for fraud at local school

7 November 2012

A CONTRACTOR, who fitted second hand oil burners at a Downpatrick school, has been fined £4,000.

Michael Muldoon, who had been awarded at £140,000 contract to fit new oil burners and boilers in De La Salle High School in 2009, was caught out when education officials carried out an audit of the school the following year.

Downpatrick Court was told Muldoon used two old burners he had removed from North West Regional College where the heating system was changed to gas.

But the contractor insisted this was only meant to be a temporary measure and said he hadn’t ordered new burners because they had been too expensive at the time and he was on a tight deadline to complete the work.

He told the court he had intended to shop around and get prices but it had slipped his mind because he was dealing with personal issues including a divorce and the ill health of his father who later died.

In a previous court appearance Muldoon, of Willesden Park, Belfast, said he was “embarrassed” to be reminded by the Department of Education that the oil burners were second hand and immediately offered to have them replaced.

“This was an oversight on my own personal behalf,” said Muldoon. “It has already brought embarrassment in a small community and it is not well reflected.

“It was certainly not done with intent. This is an exception to the rule.”

However, District Judge Greg McCourt said he couldn’t accept that Muldoon simply forgot.

“Any reliable contractor, no matter what their personal problems, would surely have remembered to fit new oil burners,” said Mr. McCourt.

“You made no effort to do this or even shop around for prices until the error was flagged up by the education board.

“Your defence asks why would you risk everything for the sake of a few thousand pounds, but I regard this as a serious matter.

“It seems to me you were willing to try to get away with it if you could,” he added.

Before sentencing, Muldoon’s solicitor told the court: “The boilers and oil burners have remained in situ since September 2009 and are working very efficiently and they have been the source of no complaint by the school.”

Muldoon was given leave to appeal the conviction.