Graeme Drummond, who as Chief Inspector was head of Ministry of Defence police at Menwith Hill, denies five offences relating to claims totalling almost £13,000 in allowances to which he was not entitled, as he lived rent-free in an MoD house in Harrogate.

York Crown Court heard Drummond, 46, had moved to the town from Scotland in 1997 and was told, incorrectly, that his family's new home in Oak Avenue would be rent-free.
Depending on eligibility, MoD police officers can be provided with housing – this can be rent-free, where the officer pays just council tax, or by way of an allowance, which the officer claims to cover rent he has paid. The allowance is paid each month in addition to the officer's salary.

After the error in Drummond's case came to light MoD property managers wrote to him in January last year and in March he was arrested.

Michael O'Neill, prosecuting, told the court when Drummond obtained MoD housing while working in Scotland he paid rent and claimed housing allowance to cover this cost.

However, because of the error in a letter to Drummond before his move to Harrogate, Mr O'Neill said the police officer thought that home was being provided rent-free.

"Notwithstanding that he obtained rent allowances to the tune of about £13,000 which he should not have had and knew he should not have had," said Mr O'Neill.

Mr O'Neill told the jury that, when arrested and questioned by police, Drummond claimed the claims arose from confusion, not dishonesty.

"It's a matter of common sense that you can't get out of the system a rent-free house and an allowance for rental on top," said Mr O'Neill.

Drummond is suspended from his post at Menwith Hill.

He denies three charges of obtaining a money transfer by deception from the MoD – obtaining a rent allowance of £2,512.72 between May 16 and December 31, 1997; £1,243.51 between January 1 and May 20, 1998; and £9,069.40 between May 21, 1998, and December 31, 2001.

He also denies two charges of false accounting, by submitting application forms for the latter two allowance claims, knowing he was not entitled to the money.

The trial continues.

(See also MDP Chief Inspector charged )

A POLICE chief on trial for falsely claiming housing allowances from his employers told a court discrepancies arose because of confusion over household bills.

Graeme Drummond, who led Ministry of Defence police at Menwith Hill, denies five fraud charges in connection with claims totalling almost £13,000 in allowances to which he was not entitled, as he lived rent-free in an MoD house in Oak Avenue, Harrogate.

When he and his family moved to the town in May 1997 he was told, in error, that the house would be rent-free.

The MoD can provide officers with accommodation rent-free or it can reimburse them for rent paid. Officers have to pay other outgoings such as council tax, either direct to the local authority or via the MoD.

Drummond is alleged to have claimed a housing allowance from the MoD despite the fact he was not being charged any rent.

Yesterday, on the fifth day of his trial at York Crown Court, Drummond, 46, who is suspended from his post as Chief Inspector at Menwith Hill, told the jury his wife dealt with household finances and he merely signed cheques or set up standing order payments when needed.

Drummond had been paying more than £200 per month in rent to live in his previous home in Scotland.

In cross-examination Michael O'Neill, prosecuting, asked whether he had thought it strange to be paying only £42 or so each month for the Harrogate house, bearing in mind houses were more expensive there than they had been where he lived before. The £42 was for council tax.

"It might sound ridiculous but I did not take any account of the amounts," said Drummond.

He denies three charges of obtaining a money transfer by deception from the MoD, obtaining rent allowances of £2,512.72, £1,243.51 and £9,069.40 between May 1997 and December 2001.

He also denies two charges of false accounting, by submitting application forms for the latter two allowance claims, knowing he was not entitled to the money.

The trial continues.