A former chief fireplace officer intentionally undermined his personal brigade’s car public sale in an effort to win a ‘good crimson Land Rover for £500 to make use of at daughter’s marriage ceremony’, a court docket has heard.

Stewart Edgar, the previous head of Gloucestershire Hearth and Rescue Service, is alleged to have abused his £120,000-a-year function to fraudulently promote a Land Rover Defender to a third-party firm he was related with.

Additionally it is alleged that Edgar purposely and dishonestly ensured a rival bid of £8,250 for the 2003-plate car was rejected after telling a colleague he had at all times needed a crimson Land Rover for his daughter’s marriage ceremony.  

Closing speeches have been delivered at Birmingham Crown Courtroom on Thursday, the place the 53-year-old stands charged with a single rely of fraud by abuse of place. 

Former chief fire officer, Stewart Edgar, pictured outside Birmingham Crown Court on October 11. He is alleged to have abused his position to sell a Land Rover Defender belonging to his brigade to a company he was connected to for £500

Former chief fireplace officer, Stewart Edgar, pictured exterior Birmingham Crown Courtroom on October 11. He’s alleged to have abused his place to promote a Land Rover Defender belonging to his brigade to an organization he was related to for £500

Closing speeches were delivered in Edgar's case at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday

Closing speeches have been delivered in Edgar’s case at Birmingham Crown Courtroom on Thursday

The 53-year-old is alleged to have sold the Land Rover Defender to a company he was connected to called Emergency One

The 53-year-old is alleged to have bought the Land Rover Defender to an organization he was related to referred to as Emergency One

The alleged sale came about between April and Could 2018, shortly earlier than he resigned from the fireplace service in June of the identical 12 months. 

A jury heard that Edgar managed the sale course of through the use of a third-party firm to bid for the car, which was being bought off after reaching the tip of its service life, on his behalf throughout an public sale he was working.

Edgar claims to have made ‘an sincere mistake’ and insists he’s ‘not a fraudster’.

Nevertheless, the court docket has beforehand heard he despatched a textual content message in April 2018 to a contact on the third-party agency which later positioned the successful Land Rover bid for him.

The textual content message learn that the association could be ‘cleaner’ and cease any ‘foolish FoI stuff’, jurors heard. 

Edgar, although, informed the court docket that he ‘did not assume it was improper’ on the time to position a successful bid in an public sale he was working.

Robin Shellard, prosecuting, stated in his closing speech: ‘With energy, comes duty.

‘A duty to behave actually in your dealings along with your employer and that’s basic to the cost you’ll have to take into account.

‘We are saying Mr Edgar… failed in that regard, not by any dereliction however due to his basic dishonesty in relation to this transaction.’

The Defender was in mint situation for its age and had simply 19,000 miles on the clock having been utilized by the brigade’s water rescue staff and latterly on mortgage to buying and selling requirements. 

Edgar informed the court docket he was suggested by his fleet supervisor that the car was solely price ‘between £500 and £1,000’, which was the thought course of behind his supply on the public sale.

He is also accused of controlling the process for the sale and rejecting a separate offer of £8,250 for the car

He’s additionally accused of controlling the method for the sale and rejecting a separate supply of £8,250 for the automobile

Mr Shellard stated it ‘didn’t take a rocket scientist to understand’ Edgar’s bid was low.

He added: ‘The prosecution say he knew he mustn’t have been bidding for this car, by a 3rd get together, given his place no matter whether or not it was a bid of £500 or £5,000.

‘He had, we are saying, a transparent monetary duty in direction of this tender… and he got down to subvert it. The one bid he was accepting was his personal bid and the excuse that the opposite bid was late so he needed to reject it’s simply that – an excuse. 

‘We are saying, proof on this case, Mr Edgar is responsible of the cost.’  

A spreadsheet created by the fleet supervisor, which was solely disclosed to Edgar’s defence staff on Wednesday, confirmed a number of over brigade autos having been valued ‘in that form of bracket and under’.

Nevertheless, the court docket heard proof from a second potential purchaser of the Land Rover, who was informed his ‘cheeky bid’ of £8,250 had been rejected as a result of Edgar claimed he had missed the deadline. 

Edgar earlier informed jurors he’s on ‘loads of treatment’ for psychological well being points related along with his lengthy service as a firefighter.

After changing into head of the service in 2014, he stated he was ‘not in the precise way of thinking’ for the job on the time of the alleged incident and says he has since been identified with melancholy. 

Birmingham Crown Court, where counsel gave their closing speeches in the case of former fire chief Stuart Edgar on Thursday

Birmingham Crown Courtroom, the place counsel gave their closing speeches within the case of former fireplace chief Stuart Edgar on Thursday

Alistair Webster QC, defending, informed jurors: ‘Stuart Edgar is a person who has given a lot to this nation – he’s entitled to truthful and open-minded consideration of this case and to say this.

“Take a look at me, I’m principally an sincere hard-working, dedicated, pushed man, who made – three-and-a-half years in the past – an sincere mistake once I wasn’t effectively and below large strain.

“I’m not a fraudster – sufficient is sufficient.’

Edgar, of Braehead Drive, Carnoustie, Angus, denies a single rely of fraud by abuse of place.