Overview
- Richard Shaw was sentenced to four years and eight months at Bolton Crown Court after admitting fraud by abuse of position.
- Between May 2015 and April 2023, he diverted £893,926.01 from council and client accounts into bank accounts controlled by himself, his wife and a joint account.
- Internal monitoring flagged unusually low balances in February 2023, leading to his suspension, dismissal the following month and a two‑year Greater Manchester Police investigation.
- Investigators say he funded a luxury lifestyle, including nearly £120,000 on BMWs, about £100,000 on a Ribble Valley holiday lodge, almost £18,000 on garden works and over £53,000 in payments to multiple women.
- Prosecutors outlined that more than £359,000 came from the main council account, £54,800 from sub‑accounts, over £142,000 from deceased service users and more than £63,000 from active users, as the CPS moves to a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing on 9 November and the council says identified individual losses have been refunded.