AN EMPLOYEE of the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has been charged with a £40,000 fraud.

It is alleged that Neil Stephen Roberts, who worked at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, sold NHS laptops on eBay over a four year period.

Roberts of Oak Meadows, Tanyfron near Wrexham, made his first court appearance.

At North East Wales Magistrates’ Court at Mold his case was sent for a plea hearing to the crown court in The New Year.

His solicitor Laura Preston-Hayes said that his client would not indicate a plea at this stage.

Roberts is charged that between June 2013 and March last year that while occupying a position of trust as a desktop support technician, in which he was expected to safeguard the financial interests of the NHS board, that he dishonestly abused that position to make a £40,000 gain for himself.

It arises from prosecution allegations that NHS staff computer laptops were sold off on eBay, said prosecutor Rhian Jones.

The defence said that the items alleged to have been stolen were scrap items destined to be recycled.

Magistrates released him on unconditional bail to appear at Mold Crown Court on January 25.

Roberts no longer works at the hospital.