Council worker in adult social financial services team jailed after diverting council funds into own accounts

A Nottinghamshire County Council worker has been sentenced to two years in prison after being found guilty of redirecting council funds into personal bank accounts for four years.

Sinead Johnson, who was working for the council’s adult social financial services team, is reported to have accessed 61 accounts a total of 148 times to move £74,187 into two of her own bank accounts between May 2018 and October 2022.

Sue Batty, Service Director for Adult Social Care at Nottinghamshire County Council said: “We are pleased that this case has reached a conclusion with a guilty plea and Sinead Johnson has now been sentenced to two years in prison.

“Defrauding the county council of taxpayers’ money is a crime and we will always play our part in bringing prosecutions against fraudsters suspected of the misappropriation of public funds. The fact that this fraud was committed by a member of council staff, whose role was to support the people who use our services, is particularly upsetting. Sinead Johnson was suspended when the fraud was discovered and no  longer works for the council. We have learnt from this incident and improved our systems to avoid it happening again. 

“Fraud is a serious crime and in cases where local authority staff are found to have abused their positions and trust by acting illegally, as a public body we will always do everything within our power, to protect public funds and support legal action against anyone who would attempt to divert funds away from providing the essential public services that local people rely on.”

Lottie Winson