A building surveyor has been sentenced to prison for defrauding the National Trust of more than £1 million through false invoicing. Roger Bryant, 73, from Barnstaple,
was found guilty of 28 offences following a trial at Bristol Crown Court. His two sons, James Bryant, 49, and Scott Bryant, 38, were also convicted of being aware that the money generated by their father through their companies was the result of criminal activity.
Roger Bryant received a prison sentence of six and a half years, James Bryant was sentenced to four years, and Scott Bryant's two-year sentence was suspended for 18 months.
During his time employed by the National Trust as a building surveyor, Roger Bryant submitted fraudulent invoices for work that was either incomplete or never carried out at all. Between January 2008 and October 2013, the charity unknowingly paid over £1 million to JR Contracting and SB Construction, both linked to Bryant's family. The payments were funneled into accounts controlled by his son, James Bryant.
The fraud was uncovered in 2013 when the National Trust was updating its procurement processes. Following the discovery, Roger Bryant attempted to obstruct justice by encouraging others to lie about the completion of certain works that had never taken place.
Additionally, in a separate instance in 2013, Bryant submitted false invoices for work on National Trust properties when, in reality, the work was carried out on his own property.
Judge Burgess KC described the fraud as "audacious and protracted," emphasizing that Roger Bryant held a position of significant trust within the National Trust, responsible for managing a budget exceeding half a million pounds per year. Both sons were deemed knowingly complicit in the crimes.
The National Trust expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the court proceedings, noting the shock caused by the betrayal of trust by a long-serving staff member. Following the sentencing, Detective Inspector Adam Bond remarked on the complexity of the case, which was made more challenging by the time that had passed since the crimes were committed. He highlighted the severity of the fraud, given that it targeted a respected charitable organization.
Sian Mitchell from the Crown Prosecution Service added that Roger Bryant consistently attempted to mislead investigators, hiding evidence and persuading witnesses to lie. Despite these efforts, a strong case was built to secure his conviction. Confiscation proceedings are now underway to reclaim any remaining funds from the fraud. Photo by Keith Evans, Wikimedia commons.