A FORMER IT technician has narrowly avoided prison for defrauding Bournemouth hospital of nearly £20,000 in technological equipment.

Richard Cornish, of Deverel Close in Christchurch, was given 18 months imprisonment suspended for two years after "siphoning" iPads and other items over a four year period while he worked as a senior desktop technician at The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust between 2012 and 2016.

Bournemouth Crown Court heard on Thursday (JUL 6) that 50-year-old Cornish had ordered the items - worth £19,671.90 to the trust - and sold them on ebay, pocketing £10,575.78 for himself.

He pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position at an earlier hearing.

He was only discovered after one of his customers found a message on ebay that an iPad he tried to buy belonged to the hospital. This item, worth £370, was recovered by the hospital, prosecutor Tom Evans told the court.

Mr Evans said Cornish "utilised his position" to advertise 45 items belonging to the hospital.

His actions "caused a considerable loss" to the trust, Mr Evans added.

Mitigating was Kevin Hill who told the court Cornish had been diagnosed with depression since he had been found out. The court heard Cornish confessed to his crimes at the earliest opportunity and was dismissed after being interviewed by the trust.

Cornish has no previous convictions, Mr Hill added, and had "conducted himself in an exemplary manner" since his arrest, according to references from friends and family members.

"It is plain from reading these references that the impact on Mr Cornish's family, including his children who are at a very difficult age, has been devastating," he said.

"It has caused a shock throughout the family. Mr Cornish's remorse is obvious. He is deeply ashamed over what he has done."

Recorder James Watson QC also ordered Cornish to 250 hours of unpaid work, a curfew between 8pm-8am for four months and £670 in costs.

Cornish wept briefly as Judge Watson delivered his sentence after Cornish "generated a substantial loss to the NHS" which was an "abuse of responsibility".

He said: "It is a tragedy for you. It is a tragedy for your wife and your friends that you harboured within you this particular dishonest trait.

"You have lost your good name but you have thrown a shadow over the good name of your wife and your family."