A principal housing officer who tried to cover up

A principal housing officer who tried to cover up a conviction
for drug smuggling from her council bosses has walked free from court
today with a conditional discharge.

A jury had heard how during the 1980s mother of two Helen
Jackson, 35, started working for Brent Council as a receptionist
before applying successfully for a number of promotions.

By 1990 Jackson was employed as a pnds stlg 20,000 a year
principal housing officer in charge of the notorious drug peddling
Church End Estate in Stonebridge Park.

Southwark Crown Court had heard that in 1986 she was caught with
half a kilo of cannabis at Heathrow Airport.

Jackson also had an earlier conviction for using a stolen cheque
book but council officials claimed they knew nothing about her record.

The jury took only 43 minutes to find her guilty of three charges
of obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception between 1985 and 1990.

Jamaican-born Jackson, of Hackney, East London, had denied the
charges.

Passing sentence Recorder Peter Fingret told her: ‘I am
sure you realise now that it is essential that people applying for
jobs or promotions give give full details of their convictions.

‘I do not feel this is an appropriate case for imprisonment and I
am impressed by the fact that although you obtained the jobs wrongly
you performed them well and gave a service to the council and
therefore the community.

‘I propose to take a wholly exceptional course and grant you a
conditional discharge for two years in respect of all three charges.

‘
Jackson was also ordered to pay pnds stlg 300 in court costs.

Mr Colin Mendoza, prosecuting, had said that she lied about her
record on job application forms and would never have been promoted if
the council had known of the convictions.

The jury were told that although officials claimed they knew
nothing about her criminal past, her boss Violet Pine admitted giving
her a glowing character reference when she was in court in relation to
the smuggling charge.

Her previous convictions came to light when police were
investigating claim of fraud within Brent Council’s housing
department.

ENDS