A Brent Council worker will stand trial accused of pocketing more than £70,000 that should have been paid to care firms.

Juniper Daumier, 39, of Shoot Up Hill, Kilburn, will appear at Harrow Crown Court on May 16 after being accused of at least 33 counts of fraud.

Appearing at Willesden Magistrates’ Court on April 18, Daumier is said to have repeatedly diverted payments from Brent Council between January 4, 2023, and August 22 that year.

Daumier was an agency member of staff employed by the council, who worked for nine months in the Adult Social Care directs payment team.

Charges state that Daumier “abused his position as a directs payments finance and monitoring officer” at the authority, where he was expected to safeguard its financial interests.

Court documents state that starting from January 4, 2023, Daumier dishonestly entered his personal bank details on the council’s prepaid financial services system instead of those of home care service Explora Haven and other care firms.

Brent & Kilburn Times: Willesden Magistrates' CourtWillesden Magistrates' Court (Image: Street View)

Court documents show he siphoned off a series of payments of £1,984 due for the care of one of its clients.

Using the same method, on May 24 he made the first of a series of thefts of the larger sum of £2,480 that was meant to be for the care of another client and on August 18, he is accused of stealing £3,094.

A total of 33 fraudulent transactions starting at £456 are included in the charges, with firms who lost out including City Carers, Westminster Homecare, Dalo Limited, Active Care Supp, Fields Care, Brookes Home Care Services and Seva Care Day Centre LTD.

The biggest - for £6,297 - was diverted from Seva Care Day Care, on August 18.

The total amount in the charges comes to £71,905.

Daumier pleaded not guilty to all charges on April 18. He was granted bail and has been sent for trial to Harrow Crown Court on May 16.