Food company manager jailed for £700,000 fraud
A man who abused his position with a company based near Lincoln to defraud it out of £700,000 was jailed for almost four years yesterday.
Brian Sinclair (pictured below) appeared at Lincoln Crown Court where he was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison.
The 54-year-old had pleaded guilty at a previous hearing in October 2025 to theft, four offences of fraud by false representation and two counts of fraud by abuse of position
Sinclair worked as a manager at Noble Foods Ltd based in North Scarle for 20 years and was responsible for managing stock levels across all the company's sites in the county.
Investigations by the Economic Crime Unit (ECU) revealed that between 2018 and 2019, Sinclair was using his position to divert existing stock and placed false orders with manufacturers to steal from the company.
He would order and move unneeded stock from one site and arrange for a haulier to take it away to be recycled and then claimed the profit. The company suffered losses from lost stock, goods ordered that it did not receive and haulage costs.
Sinclair also had invoices altered to avoid detection from the company.
DC James Norton, the investigating officer said: “This was a calculated and sustained abuse of trust. Over a prolonged period, Sinclair exploited his position for personal gain, defrauding his employer of £700,904. This was not a momentary lapse in judgement but a deliberate course of conduct that caused significant financial harm.
“I would like to thank Noble Foods Ltd for their cooperation and support throughout what has been a long and complex investigation. The sentence handed down today reflects the seriousness of offending of this nature and should serve as a clear warning that those who abuse positions of responsibility will be thoroughly investigated and brought to justice.
“Proceeds of Crime action will now commence to recover assets obtained as a result of this criminality.”
Carl Price, Unit Head Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service added: “Brian Sinclair exploited his position as a Packaging Manager to steal from his employer, Noble Foods Ltd. He did this by purchasing and then selling packaging materials to recycling centres without authority from his employer, and by diverting existing stock.
“As a result of his fraudulent actions Noble Foods Ltd suffered losses of £ £700,904 from the misappropriation of materials and in paying the associated haulage costs.
“The CPS are now pursuing confiscation proceedings against Brian Sinclair, to recover the criminally obtained funds and assets, and (the service) would encourage anyone to report suspicions of fraud or economic crime to the police.”
