Two probation officers sacked after Caroline Kerr shirked community service

Nov 28 2009 by Brian Daniel, The Journal

TWO probation officers have been sacked after a woman was able to shirk the community service she was ordered to carry out for swindling her husband out of £25,000.

Caroline Kerr, formerly Temple, was spared jail and given a 150-hour community order after pleading guilty to two counts of forgery in February 2008.

She has now been brought back before the courts and given a conditional discharge after it emerged she had not carried out all of the required unpaid work, while two probation officers involved in her case have been dismissed.

Last night, Kerr’s now ex-husband John Temple described the episode as “a disgrace”.

Newcastle Crown Court heard at the time of the original offence that she had forged her husband John Temple’s signature to take out a loan of £15,000 against their mortgage, and tricked him into signing a form to lend another £10,000.

Judge Keith Miller accepted she had carried out the offence to try to cope with out-of-control family finances and he ordered her to carry out community service.

But a Journal investigation has now revealed that Kerr, of Shilbottle, Northumberland, and two Northumbria Probation service officers were arrested by police earlier this year amid allegations of misconduct concerning record-keeping.

A probation service internal investigation found Kerr had not done as many community service hours as she should have.

However, probation officials said while the allegation had been upheld by the service during the probe, they were unable to reveal how many hours Kerr had actually completed.

Two probation officers, Alexandra Lindsay and Toni Robinson, have been dismissed from the service.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) investigated the trio after they were arrested but decided not to bring charges, citing lack of evidence. The probation service requested Kerr’s order be revoked and that she be resentenced as a result of her failure to do the unpaid work.

Back before Newcastle Crown Court on November 13, Kerr, 34, was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £125 costs.

Last night, Mr Temple and his father Kevin spoke of their disgust at the whole episode.