A former transport executive has been sentenced after using his company credit card for personal expenses over a five-year period.
Sean Forster, 60, from Ashington, Northumberland, used his corporate card for holidays, garden furniture, music records, rental properties, and groceries while working at Arriva, Newcastle Crown Court heard. He admitted fraud and received a two-year jail term, suspended for two years, alongside 300 hours of unpaid work.
Forster had joined Arriva in 1993 and was appointed managing director in 2014 with a six-figure salary. The court was told he was given the card to cover legitimate business expenses, including travel, hotels, and hospitality. Between 2017 and 2022, he repeatedly used it for personal spending. His actions came to light in December 2022, resulting in his dismissal.
In mitigation, Ms Jane Foley told the court that a “culture of tolerance if not endorsement” existed within the company, where executives used corporate cards for personal purchases in departments performing well financially. She said Forster never attempted to conceal his spending, was never asked for receipts, and “drifted into a pattern of behaviour that wrongly had come to be seen as acceptable among his peers”. She added that he now faces “a lifetime of financial ruin and personal shame” after being subject to a civil court judgement demanding repayment and having his assets frozen, although he has since secured another senior management role.
Recorder Thomas Moran noted that junior staff had felt unable to report the fraud due to Forster’s seniority. Probation officers also highlighted the “culture of spending on corporate credit cards” and were surprised no audit had taken place. Moran added that despite these factors, Forster “should have been trusted not to steal from the company, whether it was easy or not”.
A spokeswoman for Arriva said the fraud had been detected by “robust systems and controls” and the company is seeking to recover the funds. She emphasised that Arriva expects the highest standards of conduct and does not tolerate policy abuse.
