A suspended British Telecom manager illegally ran up a company phone bill of more than £2,500 by ringing premium rate chat lines.

Peter Simon Milburn, 37, of Main Street, Flookburgh, pleaded guilty to three offences of fraudulent use of a telecom system between September 6 and December 3 last year at Furness Magistrates Court. Magistrates were also asked to take 53 further matters into consideration.

The court heard that while suspended from his job as manager for BT in the South Lakes area on an unconnected matter, Milburn had used his master key to gain access to the telephone exchange in Flookburgh. A connection was then made to telephone boxes, one on Winder Road in Flookburgh and the other at Cark Railway, where he made the 56 premium rate calls to chat lines without having to pay.

Prosecuting, Philip Bates said one phone call cost BT £94.50. "This was just one of many calls made by Milburn. When questioned by police he made a frank admission of what he had done. He said that since he had lost his job he had become very depressed and had made a vast number of calls to chat lines."

Mr Bates called Milburn's crime one of "gross dishonesty" and accused him of "taking it out on his employer" after losing his job. BT asked for compensation of £2,826.

Michael Graham, defending, said the phone calls were unrelated to Milburn's earlier suspension from his job.

"He didn't do it vindictively and there was no spurge to hit back at his employer," he said.

Milburn was ordered to complete 120-hours community service and pay BT £2,826 compensation at £5 per week. He was also ordered to pay £118 court costs.

Chair of the bench Judith Johnson said Milburn's early guilty plea had been taken into consideration.

"If you had not pleaded guilty so early you would have been ordered to do longer community hours, maybe as much as 180," she said.

Mr Milburn's payment to BT is to be reviewed at Furness Magistrates Court on February 19. Mr Graham said Milburn, now unemployed, was hoping to find work in the near future, which meant he would be able to increase the payments.

BT said after the court case: "BT takes the issue of security very seriously and this case highlights it. This man was guilty and was sentenced accordingly."

January 10, 2003 10:00