It's been another busy week in Basildon Crown Court, with fraud cases and trials.

Here's out round up of the hearing this week- A MANAGER “abused his position” to fraudulently add his own bank details to invoices leading clients to pay him £15,000 directly for services.

Sean Northfield, 30, of Tintern Avenue, Westcliff was working for ST Manufacturing when he altered invoices so at least two firms paid money into his personal bank account. He then left the business and it was only when other workers chased payments that they found the handwritten invoices with Northfield’s own bank account details. He was handed a suspended sentence at Basildon Crown Court yesterday after previously admitting fraud.

Echo:

A MAN purposely drove over his former colleague in a car park leaving her injured after sharing a bottle of whiskey with her, a court heard.
The victim and the accused, Didzis Ozols, who are both originally from Latvia, were sat in the vehicle in the car park off Kent View Road, Vange before the incident in January, Basildon Crown Court heard yesterday.
The pair had previously worked for Argos, the court had been told. Didzis Ozols, 33, of Barfields, Vange told a jury at Basildon Crown Court he and the woman shared whiskey in his car as she was lonely in the Covid lockdowns.
The court heard how Ozols was disqualified from driving at the time and he told the court he “sometimes uses alcohol too much.”
He is on trial charged with failing to stop after a road accident, driving a motor vehicle without insurance, driving whilst disqualified, driving whilst unfit through drink and causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

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A MAN accused of manslaughter told a court he never wanted trouble and had never been in a fight before a man suffered fatal brain injuries outside a bar. 
Dennie Griffiths, 27, of Hermitage Drive, Laindon, took to the witness box yesterday at Basildon Crown Court, telling the jury he feared for his safety in the incident.
Matthew Bion 31, from Wickford, died of injuries sustained on August 18, 2019 following the altercation outside Reids bar in Laindon Road, Billericay at 1.15am.
Griffiths, 27, of Hermitage Drive, Laindon, denies one count of manslaughter, while girlfriend Jade Chambers, 24, also of Hermitage Drive, denies assisting an offender.