0:00:02 > 0:00:04We live in a country where the money we pay as taxes
0:00:04 > 0:00:08goes to provide essential services that we rely upon every day.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11It's also there to give us a safety net,
0:00:11 > 0:00:14in case life takes an unexpected turn.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18This vital money supports people in their time of need.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21Poor chap, you could tell he was anxious because he was agitated.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24But there will always be some people, who see that money
0:00:24 > 0:00:27as something they deserve - even when they don't.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32This revealed that she'd fraudulently claimed benefit
0:00:32 > 0:00:34in the region of £75,000.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38Welcome to the world of Saints and Scroungers.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05Saints and Scroungers celebrates lives changed by benefits
0:01:05 > 0:01:08and casts a spotlight on the cheats and criminals
0:01:08 > 0:01:11who are out to beat the system.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Every day, right across the UK, investigators are chasing
0:01:14 > 0:01:17self-serving fraudsters, who steal from the public purse.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21And the saints are fighting to ensure people get the help
0:01:21 > 0:01:23that they're entitled to.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Coming up on today's show...
0:01:31 > 0:01:34The fraudulent financier cooking the books!
0:01:34 > 0:01:37This is a very well organised individual,
0:01:37 > 0:01:41who was hellbent on stealing money from the Trust as much as he could.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45And the fitness fanatic floored by a life-changing injury.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49I had to crawl up my garden path, it was so painful.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58The NHS. One of our great publicly-funded institutions -
0:01:58 > 0:02:03always there in time of need - to help the sick and infirm.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06But while its doctors and nurses work tirelessly
0:02:06 > 0:02:11to help other people, there are some who are just intent
0:02:11 > 0:02:13on helping themselves.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18Meet 23-year-old Lance Sewell.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21In 2009, he had a steady and respectable job, working as
0:02:21 > 0:02:25a financial analyst at Guys & St Thomas's Hospital in London,
0:02:25 > 0:02:28with the added convenience of living cheaply at his mum's
0:02:28 > 0:02:30in Catford, South West London.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Investigators didn't realise it at the time
0:02:33 > 0:02:36but this seemingly hard-working young man was about to make
0:02:36 > 0:02:39an appearance on their radar.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43In January 2009, four doctors working at the hospital
0:02:43 > 0:02:48complained that their wages hadn't been paid into their accounts.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50The case was passed on to NHS Protect,
0:02:50 > 0:02:54the NHS's very own team of fraud investigators.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57Mark Howard led the team, as they started to get their heads
0:02:57 > 0:02:59around the evidence.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01The doctors noticed after a few days
0:03:01 > 0:03:04that obviously they hadn't been paid by the hospital.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07As a result, the doctors made contact with the Payroll Department,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10asking where their salary was, which they found out
0:03:10 > 0:03:12by the Payroll Section that they had changed
0:03:12 > 0:03:15their bank account details the previous month.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18I can imagine they were a little surprised that their pay
0:03:18 > 0:03:22had gone to a bank account that they knew nothing about.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25To change bank account details to receive your salary,
0:03:25 > 0:03:27you'd have to complete a form.
0:03:27 > 0:03:28When the Payroll Department informed them
0:03:28 > 0:03:31that they had completed a change of bank details request,
0:03:31 > 0:03:33the doctors' response was to the negative.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36It was at that point the Payroll Section realised
0:03:36 > 0:03:38that a fraud had been committed.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Somebody somewhere had all that money
0:03:41 > 0:03:44heading to these bank accounts.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48The total salary for the four doctors was £16,400.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51That was their net pay. And that's what was paid
0:03:51 > 0:03:54into the fraudsters' bank account.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57Of course, the doctors had to be paid their wages.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01But Payroll wasn't happy that they'd had to pay them out twice.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05Little did the hospital know this first successful attempt
0:04:05 > 0:04:08to steal NHS money was just the tip of the iceberg.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Over the coming months, the Payments Section began to query
0:04:12 > 0:04:14some of invoices that up to now
0:04:14 > 0:04:17they'd been quite happily paying out.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21When the fraud first started, they were for a lot lower amounts,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24maybe £2,000 to £3,000 per invoice.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27As the fraud developed, clearly they got more confident
0:04:27 > 0:04:29and invoice amounts started to go up.
0:04:29 > 0:04:35Most of the invoices were around about £10,000 per invoice.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38And the number of dodgy invoices was increasing too
0:04:38 > 0:04:40including suspect expenses claims
0:04:40 > 0:04:45for when doctors were supposedly away on work-related trips.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49A number of the invoices related to reimbursement of conference fees for doctors.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53These doctors weren't even known to the hospital
0:04:53 > 0:04:57and the conference fees were totally bogus.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00After much digging, a pattern started to emerge.
0:05:00 > 0:05:05As the investigation progressed, we discovered more and more invoices
0:05:05 > 0:05:07related to consultancy services
0:05:07 > 0:05:10that had allegedly been provided to the Trust.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13These related to things like web development,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16general consultancy services for expert opinions
0:05:16 > 0:05:19on various health-related issues.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23With radars pinging, the hospital was now on full alert
0:05:23 > 0:05:26to the fact that something was definitely up.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30They were beginning to see dodgy invoices from companies
0:05:30 > 0:05:33that, on closer inspection, were actually unknown to the hospital
0:05:33 > 0:05:37or worse, from companies that didn't exist in the first place.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42Other invoices had what looked like fake signatures on them.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45On top of that, there were even some that had
0:05:45 > 0:05:49the genuine signatory's handwriting photocopied on to the paper!
0:05:50 > 0:05:55In July 2009, the Creditor Payments Section of the Trust
0:05:55 > 0:06:01identified two invoices that had been submitted and these invoices
0:06:01 > 0:06:05were for reimbursement of conference fees for two doctors.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08They had noticed that the authorising signature
0:06:08 > 0:06:10on the invoice did not look genuine.
0:06:10 > 0:06:15As a result, they then made inquiries with the relevant budget holder
0:06:15 > 0:06:19and they discovered that the signature had indeed been falsified.
0:06:21 > 0:06:26They passed those invoices to the Trust Audit Department.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30They discovered that the same bank account had been used
0:06:30 > 0:06:34in the payroll fraud that took place in January 2009.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Bingo! What we have here are matching bank details
0:06:37 > 0:06:41on fake invoices that link up with the mysterious accounts
0:06:41 > 0:06:46into which the doctors' wages disappeared several months before.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49It's the first important clue that could point
0:06:49 > 0:06:51to whoever was trying to steal taxpayers' money
0:06:51 > 0:06:54that was meant to help others.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58Meanwhile, the invoices kept on coming, and as staff were sifting
0:06:58 > 0:07:01through them to work out which were genuine and which were bogus,
0:07:01 > 0:07:05they were beginning to fear the worst. Could this be an inside job?
0:07:05 > 0:07:08The fraud investigator, who got to grips with the evidence,
0:07:08 > 0:07:10was beginning to think so.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Due to the nature of his job, he's asked to stay anonymous.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16This is a very well-organised individual, who was hellbent
0:07:16 > 0:07:20on stealing money from the Trust as much as he could.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24Somebody on the inside, who had access to those budget stamps,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27who had access to those authorising signatures,
0:07:27 > 0:07:29and who had access to systems and processes,
0:07:29 > 0:07:33whereby invoices could be submitted into the system.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Dodgy bank details, falsified signatures!
0:07:36 > 0:07:40At this point, the investigators still didn't know what part -
0:07:40 > 0:07:43if any - Sewell had to do with it all.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46But one thing was for sure, drastic action was needed
0:07:46 > 0:07:49to slam the brakes on this fraud.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53When it became clear in July 2009 that the Trust was being attacked
0:07:53 > 0:07:57by an invoice fraud, the Trust changed the way they were doing different procedures.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00They stopped accepting copies of invoices
0:08:00 > 0:08:04and started to ask for the genuine signature.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08A large number were submitted, totalling £92,000.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Through the diligence of the Trust, none of these got paid.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15So, the team attempted to gain the upper hand in the situation.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19Stricter rules ensured that they stopped accidentally paying out for fake invoices.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22But what they really needed was a big break.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24At which point, who should walk through the door
0:08:24 > 0:08:29asking questions about unpaid invoices, but Lance Sewell!
0:08:29 > 0:08:34Lance Sewell started off at the Trust as a payroll officer.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38He would be involved in the administration of payroll claims,
0:08:38 > 0:08:40setting new people up on the payroll system,
0:08:40 > 0:08:43administering any changes of bank accounts
0:08:43 > 0:08:46that staff got their salaries paid into.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51In March 2009, Lance Sewell moved from the Payroll Department
0:08:51 > 0:08:54to the Finance Department, and became a financial analyst.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58It basically means he's looking at financial management
0:08:58 > 0:09:02and he was assigned to a particular department to oversee,
0:09:02 > 0:09:04which was the Research and Development
0:09:04 > 0:09:06of the Guys and St Thomas's Hospital.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09And when Sewell came asking questions about fraudulent payments,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12well, it was time to check out exactly what he was up to.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Lance Sewell chased up a number of those invoices.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17He told the Finance Department
0:09:17 > 0:09:20that someone else was chasing him up for payment.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25When we looked into that, that didn't quite ring true.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Chasing invoices of the kinds that he was chasing
0:09:28 > 0:09:31was not really a major part of his role, and it seemed odd
0:09:31 > 0:09:35to the Finance Department as to why he was pursuing those invoices.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39At that point, they were known as false invoices as well.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41That really started to point the finger
0:09:41 > 0:09:43at Lance Sewell as a main suspect.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45The spotlight may have been on Sewell, but at this point
0:09:45 > 0:09:48the hospital didn't have any proof.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50The audit team would need help if they were going to get
0:09:50 > 0:09:53to the bottom of all these bogus invoices.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57And within the NHS, that means NHS Protect.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00One of the functions of NHS Protect is to get involved
0:10:00 > 0:10:03in more complex fraud investigations.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05We're a specialist investigation team,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08who can access financial bank accounts.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11And we also have the capacity to forensically analyse
0:10:11 > 0:10:13computers and phones.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17The Trust contacted NHS Protect when it became clear
0:10:17 > 0:10:22that the payroll element of the fraud and the invoice frauds were linked.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26We then started the process of trying to establish links
0:10:26 > 0:10:30between the defendants, who'd actually perpetrated this fraud.
0:10:30 > 0:10:35And, at this time, Sewell was the only real suspect.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38The fact the money from the fake invoices was disappearing
0:10:38 > 0:10:40into other people's bank accounts, all indicated
0:10:40 > 0:10:42that Sewell was getting help.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45It seemed the accounts held the key to finding out
0:10:45 > 0:10:47just who was involved.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51In order to prove a conspiracy, you would need to tie the bank accounts
0:10:51 > 0:10:54that were being used within this fraud to the individual
0:10:54 > 0:10:58whom suspicion had fallen upon as the architect of the fraud.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03But if Sewell was the mastermind with grand designs on hospital cash,
0:11:03 > 0:11:05just who else was in his gang?
0:11:05 > 0:11:09It then became a case of trying to piece together who was responsible.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13There was a lot of circumstantial evidence before the arrests.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22For now, it's farewell to the fraudsters
0:11:22 > 0:11:24and hello to the people we call our saints.
0:11:24 > 0:11:29Those in society who help others in genuine need but are too proud -
0:11:29 > 0:11:32or don't know how - to claim what is rightfully theirs.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39For some people, it's only when they hit rock bottom
0:11:39 > 0:11:42that they can find the strength to turn their lives around.
0:11:42 > 0:11:48But, at that point, in your darkest hour, who do you turn to for help?
0:11:48 > 0:11:53And how do you summon the strength to turn a life-changing event
0:11:53 > 0:11:56into a springboard for something better?
0:11:58 > 0:12:02Meet 55-year-old David Buck, who lives in South Yorkshire.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05From keeping fit in the Army to mastering several martial arts,
0:12:05 > 0:12:10physical activity has always been an integral part of his life.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13When I was 18, I got into martial arts
0:12:13 > 0:12:17and judo and jujitsu, then I settled on doing karate.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21Eventually got up to my black belt. I set my own schools up in Bolsover.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25I got addicted to the fitness and I had a passion for teaching.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28And that's when that discovery - a passion for being an instructor -
0:12:28 > 0:12:29first came about.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33For 15 years or so, David was a popular fitness instructor,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36running daily keep fit classes in his local area.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40But, one day, for reasons completely out of his control,
0:12:40 > 0:12:43it all came to an abrupt halt.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47I've come to meet David and hear his story.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51So, tell me about the day when all of that, you realised, had to stop.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54I'd gone home and just leant over the boot.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56When I came back out, I had this massive pain in my right knee
0:12:56 > 0:12:59and I couldn't bend my knee. It was locked straight.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02So, what I did - I thumped the back of my leg with my hand.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Then it was just like somebody'd cut my leg off. I couldn't walk.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09I crawled up the garden path, got myself into the house and managed to sit down.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11I went to have an X-ray and when they went in,
0:13:11 > 0:13:14they found there was nothing left. There was no cartilage or nothing.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17It had all gone. It had just shattered and broke.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19It jammed my knee up.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22The consultant said you're far too young to have a new knee,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25but your working life as a fitness instructor,
0:13:25 > 0:13:29and basically what you can do in an active life, is over.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33All of the exercising had taken its toll.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37David's knees were now no longer fit for purpose.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39The future was very uncertain.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44It was disastrous for him, and for any instructor, to be honest.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48Because when you go into that sort of fitness for your career
0:13:48 > 0:13:51that is the main thing for you and for you not to be able
0:13:51 > 0:13:57to do that any more, it was just completely life-changing.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59You get depressed, you know.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03And also you feel like you're letting your clients down.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06Those around David were right to be concerned.
0:14:06 > 0:14:12This was the second time that David had suffered from depression.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15The first time he had depression was almost 17 years ago,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18when David's life hit a low point.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20I'd become bankrupt and everything.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23So, I was banging weight on doing nothing,
0:14:23 > 0:14:25so I went through a depression for two years.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28Last time when he had this depression,
0:14:28 > 0:14:31he had to deal with that with medication.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33The only way around that was doing keep fit.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35So, with that gone now, he knew there wasn't going to be
0:14:35 > 0:14:38any exercise to help him to pick up from this
0:14:38 > 0:14:39and we were really worried.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43I couldn't really envision what else I could want to do.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46I couldn't see a future - a way forward.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49David took himself to his local job centre
0:14:49 > 0:14:51to seek some much needed advice.
0:14:51 > 0:14:57David was now very keen to try to come up with a realistic idea
0:14:57 > 0:15:01that would fit in with his health and his overall situation.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04And I was able to help David look at specifically what individual help
0:15:04 > 0:15:08and support in terms of funding may be available for him.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Knowing that there was some help out there made all the difference
0:15:11 > 0:15:15and it wasn't long before David had his eureka moment.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19I'd been flying microlights for a number years
0:15:19 > 0:15:22from when I was in the Territorial Army.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25- I thought, "Why don't I become an instructor?"- We have lift off!
0:15:25 > 0:15:28But if he was going to become a self-employed flying instructor
0:15:28 > 0:15:33he would need a business plan, loads of training and bags of funding.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41The key issue initially was making sure he did have
0:15:41 > 0:15:46the financial support to actually become qualified as an instructor.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49This advice led David to a number of local organisations,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52one of which was Disability Dynamics,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55who offer a range of programmes designed to help people
0:15:55 > 0:15:58with disabilities who are keen to get back to work.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03I'm one of the business advisors on the work for yourself programme.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07The programme is for people with a long term health condition
0:16:07 > 0:16:10or disability, who are interested in self employment.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12We just facilitate the journey to get from A to B
0:16:12 > 0:16:15but I think it's just having somebody there that believes
0:16:15 > 0:16:18in what they're doing, and is there to help
0:16:18 > 0:16:20that makes all the difference.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25And by so process, there was £400 that came from one place, £300 from
0:16:25 > 0:16:28another place, and by the time we'd done,
0:16:28 > 0:16:32I was only a shortfall of £700.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34Borrowed that money off my parents,
0:16:34 > 0:16:37and I got the money for the course.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39But this was only the beginning.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42There was still a lot of studying involved.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44I had a massive hill to climb.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47First of all I had to do the course,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50which was an intensive course, and then went and did the exam.
0:16:50 > 0:16:51Thought I had failed it.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54He says, "No, not only have you not failed,
0:16:54 > 0:16:55"you have passed with distinctions."
0:16:55 > 0:16:57Having passed with flying colours,
0:16:57 > 0:17:00David needed a location for his business.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Sheffield Aerodrome, where he first got a taste of flying
0:17:03 > 0:17:05all those years ago, came to the rescue.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08They moved some aircraft around and got me in.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10They said, "Right, this room down here,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13"because you are setting up your business,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16"we only want to charge you £30 a week for this room."
0:17:16 > 0:17:18So now after two years of hard graft,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21David and his flying school are in business.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24I really want to get a taste of what he's so passionate about.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27After all it's given him, maybe I'll catch the bug.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Bring the right wing down. See it banking?
0:17:33 > 0:17:38- Hold it there. Now centre the bar. - Oh, I've overdone it!
0:17:38 > 0:17:42Hold it there. Hold it there. Hold it. Hold it. It will roll in.
0:17:42 > 0:17:43It's very gradual, isn't it?
0:17:43 > 0:17:46- That's right, yeah. - Very small movements required.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50Oh, traffic on the roads down there and everything.
0:17:50 > 0:17:51It's very realistic.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54- Oh, I've done that too much. - Let go of the bar, let me have it.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Oh, dear! That was disastrous.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01Here we are, this is your reality now.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05This is where we are after those dark days.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07You've got your microlight simulator,
0:18:07 > 0:18:11you've got aircraft in the hangar, you've got customers,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14you know, lining up. That must feel great?
0:18:14 > 0:18:19It's what I dream about. So you're sitting in what I saw two years ago.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22So, you're sitting in my dream now.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Well, thank you so much for introducing me to something
0:18:24 > 0:18:27I knew absolutely nothing about before today.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30- It's been fantastic, thank you. - Well, thanks a lot. Cheers.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34David's story shows that with the right level of determination
0:18:34 > 0:18:37and drive, there's nothing you can't achieve.
0:18:37 > 0:18:43Sometimes all is takes is to know when and where to ask for help.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45And then, the sky's the limit.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54In 2009, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital
0:18:54 > 0:18:57was under attack from bogus invoices, fraudulent expenses,
0:18:57 > 0:19:02and all the while money was drip feeding into unknown bank account.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06Investigators set sights on their prime suspect - Lance Sewell,
0:19:06 > 0:19:11a hospital insider. A big question loomed large - was he working alone?
0:19:11 > 0:19:13We knew what bank accounts were being used in the fraud.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17We could then find out who was the bank account holder,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20and try and establish links between the bank accounts
0:19:20 > 0:19:21and anyone at the hospital.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25The bank accounts came back to Kyrone Collins,
0:19:25 > 0:19:29Francis Backer-Ocran, Gerry Anyiam, Mourad Jarraz
0:19:29 > 0:19:31and Aaron Taipow-Sewell.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34Aaron Taipow-Sewell was Lance Sewell's cousin, yes.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36Hold it right there!
0:19:37 > 0:19:41Aaron Taipow-Sewell was Lance's cousin?
0:19:41 > 0:19:43Talk about keeping it in the family.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46The investigators started looking into the cash flow of these
0:19:46 > 0:19:51new names and surprise, surprise, they all led back to Sewell.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54There was money flowing from the bank accounts, Gerry Anyiam.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58There was money going from him to Kyrone Collins,
0:19:58 > 0:20:00and then onto Lance Sewell.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03So the picture was getting clearer.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05Investigators could see that money was flowing
0:20:05 > 0:20:09out of the hospital, into the bank accounts of Sewell's associates,
0:20:09 > 0:20:13and eventually finding in to one of Sewell's own accounts.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17During the pre-arrest phase, we done a number of checks
0:20:17 > 0:20:19on the suspect bank account holders.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21We looked at social networking sites,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24looked through Experian and Equifax,
0:20:24 > 0:20:28and tried to link up those bank account holders
0:20:28 > 0:20:30to anyone at the Trust.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34It was quickly established that Lance Sewell was in fact
0:20:34 > 0:20:38Facebook friends with a number of the bank account holders.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41The investigators' hard work was paying off, as they established
0:20:41 > 0:20:46link after link between Sewell and his conspirators.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48Impressed by the mounting body of evidence, the police got
0:20:48 > 0:20:52involved and organised a search and arrest warrant.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54But before the law started knocking on doors,
0:20:54 > 0:20:58the investigators had to track down where Sewell actually lived.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01And even that required some hard work.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03Sewell was registered at the payroll records
0:21:03 > 0:21:06as living at his mother's in Catford, South East London.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10We discovered it was highly unlikely that he was living there.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13Where he was actually living was a flat in the Docklands
0:21:13 > 0:21:17area of London, overlooking the Millennium Dome.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20That apartment was far in excess of what we would
0:21:20 > 0:21:22expect him to be able to afford.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25One might say it was quite an aspirational area to live in.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30And it was also noted that he was driving an Audi TT vehicle,
0:21:30 > 0:21:33which was parked in the underground car park of the building.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36The lifestyle that he was seen to be leading was
0:21:36 > 0:21:39certainly beyond the income that he was earning within the NHS,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42so the only way one could have that
0:21:42 > 0:21:45sort of lifestyle would be if one was living
0:21:45 > 0:21:50on borrowed credit cards, etc, or had a rich uncle, or something,
0:21:50 > 0:21:52that was funding that lifestyle.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57On the 24th February, 2010, the police conducted a search...
0:22:01 > 0:22:05..and arrested Lance Sewell at his home address in his Docklands flat.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10And as soon as they started to look around they hit jackpot!
0:22:10 > 0:22:14Sewell was about to be tripped up by his own methodical nature.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18False hard copy invoices, Blackberry phones that,
0:22:18 > 0:22:20after they were forensically analysed,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23detailed numerous conversations and text messages
0:22:23 > 0:22:27between Lance Sewell and the other people involved in the fraud.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30Computers taken that, once they were forensically analysed,
0:22:30 > 0:22:32we discovered templates of invoices.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37Sewell was quite a methodical individual.
0:22:37 > 0:22:42Methodical to the extent that the items associated with
0:22:42 > 0:22:46the fraud that he was perpetrating, he kept in a bag in his flat.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49It was almost like he had a fraud kit that he was working with
0:22:49 > 0:22:52including this stamp, to stamp invoices that come in.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55Some invoices that he had taken from his department,
0:22:55 > 0:22:59which he had removed authorising signatures from.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01And then, he also had his own invoices,
0:23:01 > 0:23:02that he was mocking up,
0:23:02 > 0:23:04you can see that he has put his own notes on here about
0:23:04 > 0:23:07increasing the font size and putting a company logo here.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10He'd made copies of some signatures of the authorising
0:23:10 > 0:23:14members of staff, he was then able to put his own invoices together,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17such as this, where the stamp was used here,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20and the authorising signature was put there.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24Also with in the fraud kit were a number of notebooks which
0:23:24 > 0:23:28also outline the methodical nature of this fraud.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31In this book, he's helpfully put on page one,
0:23:31 > 0:23:33"hit list," and here he's detailing how many invoices
0:23:33 > 0:23:36he is going to be putting in, how much those invoices are for,
0:23:36 > 0:23:39and how much he's going to obtain from this fraud.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42He's got some initials here, AT, KY, GA,
0:23:42 > 0:23:45we believe these were associated with other members of the gang.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49He's got some of the names of the false companies that he invented.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52As a good financial analyst, he's written "January forecast."
0:23:52 > 0:23:54This is a very organised young man,
0:23:54 > 0:23:56who was very methodical in the nature
0:23:56 > 0:24:00that he had planned and prepared to steal money from the NHS.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02Clearly Sewell was extremely thorough,
0:24:02 > 0:24:05as a trawl through his phone confirmed.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08On his Blackberry, and also on the mobile phones
0:24:08 > 0:24:11of his co-conspirators, were a number of messages that
0:24:11 > 0:24:14in the nature of when invoices were being paid,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17when to expect money in various bank accounts,
0:24:17 > 0:24:20and also which bank accounts were to be used.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23There were a number of text messages
0:24:23 > 0:24:28in relation to a trip to Amsterdam. There was also a trip to Miami.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32One of those text messages detailed the flight details for all of them.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36It listed who was on the flight, and how much they'd paid for that trip.
0:24:36 > 0:24:41Fast cars, expensive apartments! Now add foreign holidays to the list!
0:24:41 > 0:24:45You don't have to look very hard to see what was happening to
0:24:45 > 0:24:47the money that Sewell had taken.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49When it came to the interrogation,
0:24:49 > 0:24:50no-one was giving anything away.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54Sewell remained tight-lipped, and his cousin claimed he thought
0:24:54 > 0:25:01the money in the account was his student loan! Come on!
0:25:01 > 0:25:04It was difficult for him to explain the wealth of evidence that
0:25:04 > 0:25:08had been generated. But consistently during the interview,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11he denied any involvement in any fraud against the hospital.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15There was no escape from the law.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18Sewell and his gang pleaded guilty to the charges of conspiracy
0:25:18 > 0:25:22to defraud, and money laundering offences.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24When they were all sentenced, Lance Sewell
0:25:24 > 0:25:27received 21 months' imprisonment.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30His associates and other conspirators
0:25:30 > 0:25:36all received suspended sentences and variant community service orders.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40We never found out from himself why he was doing this.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42When we looked through the notebooks,
0:25:42 > 0:25:46we did find a couple of jottings about a company called
0:25:46 > 0:25:47Sewell Financial Consulting.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51It would appear that Lance was intending perhaps to set himself up
0:25:51 > 0:25:53in business as a financial advisor.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56In one light, you could see that once he realised
0:25:56 > 0:25:59he was able to steal money in this way,
0:25:59 > 0:26:02that perhaps he got a bit too cocky,
0:26:02 > 0:26:05and rather than putting all of his
0:26:05 > 0:26:07ill-gotten gains into founding
0:26:07 > 0:26:09his new business, he decided to
0:26:09 > 0:26:11spend a little on himself at the same time.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15The financial fiddler got sent down.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18The only question that remains is just how much did
0:26:18 > 0:26:22Sewell's fraudulent schemes cost you, me, and NHS?
0:26:22 > 0:26:24The total loss to the hospital
0:26:24 > 0:26:30was in the region of £60,000. There was also £92,000 worth
0:26:30 > 0:26:33of invoices that had been submitted fraudulently,
0:26:33 > 0:26:37that had been prevented from being paid.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39We are very happy with the sentencing outcome.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43It reflected and gave a strong message out to deter people
0:26:43 > 0:26:45in carrying out this sort of fraud.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47So our man was caught with his hand well
0:26:47 > 0:26:49and truly in the cookie jar!
0:26:49 > 0:26:52If only he'd stayed on the straight and narrow.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56As it is, he's only bought himself a bit of time to think about it all.