THE trial of a woman accused of supplying unqualified teachers to a large number of schools, including some in the Grimsby, Cleethorpes and Immingham areas – and allegedly intending to con them out of almost £700,000 – has collapsed.
Award-winning businesswoman Nicola Blake, 39, denied ten charges of fraud and five of dishonestly obtaining cash from schools between 2004 and 2011.
It had been claimed that Blake committed fraud by making false representations that the staff she was supplying were qualified teachers and had been the subject of searches over their suitability.
But the prosecution has now dropped the case just weeks before a high-profile trial was due to start. The case had been rumbling on since early 2013.
Prosecutor Katherine Robinson told Sheffield Crown Court that Mrs Blake had been running a supply teacher business but it was claimed that she was "hiring out unqualified teachers" who had not had checks carried out by the Criminal Records Bureau.
"It involved an awful lot of schools across a wide area," said Miss Robinson.
"The schools were perfectly content to have any teachers in the circumstances – or any staff members – because they were desperate."
Judge Robert Moore said Mrs Blake was filling a "niche" and it was not really a fraud.
He agreed with the prosecution's decision to offer no evidence.
Miss Robinson said the prosecution had decided not to proceed with a planned three-week trial due to begin on March 9.
"We don't see any realistic prospect of conviction," she said.
Not guilty verdicts were entered.
Mrs Blake, of Henlow, Bedfordshire, was not in court to hear the decision. No submissions were made on her behalf.
She set up her Wrawby-based company, Education Resourcing Ltd, in 2003 – and went on to supply temporary teaching staff to more than 1,000 schools in Lincolnshire and Peterborough.
In 2011, she was crowned Young Business Person Of The Year in the Lincolnshire Business Awards.
At that point, the firm was turning over £1.5 million a year, providing work for more than 200 people – making it one of Lincolnshire's larger employers.
She was also one of the three people behind plans to transform Grimsby's former St Mary's Roman Catholic High School into the Lighthouse Community School, a free school catering for those who struggle with mainstream education.
Mrs Blake, previously known as Nicky Keller, launched the Keller Foundation – a scholarship programme helping those from disadvantaged backgrounds become graduates without having to pay tuition fees or run up student loan bills.
Her original co-defendant, Darri Poucher, a former business colleague, was jailed at Grimsby Crown Court in July.
Poucher, 31, of Deeping St Nicholas, Spalding, admitted two offences of fraud, intending to make a financial gain, by claiming that he was a qualified teacher, between May and July 2011 and between September and May 2012.
He denied meeting a 14-year-old pupil following sexual grooming and sexual activity with her, but was convicted by a jury.
He was jailed for a total of three years – two years for the fraud and one for the sexual offences.
THE fraud and dishonesty charges originally faced by Nicola Blake but which have now been formally dropped involved claims that she intended to cause losses to the following schools:
Hereford School (now Ormiston Academy) – £349,925.38.
Wintringham School (now Oasis Academy Wintringham) – £72,526.36.
Nunsthorpe Primary School (now Nunsthorpe Academy) – £66,311.50.
Immingham School (now Oasis Academy Immingham) – £28,696.52.
Humberston School (now Humberston Academy) – £25,402.84.
Tollbar School (now Tollbar Academy) – £326.28.
Havelock School (now Havelock Academy) – £22,928.
Cambridge Park School – £37,014.
Whitgift School (now John Whitgift Academy) – £1,341.10.
Spalding Grammar School – £17,689.22.
It was also originally claimed she dishonestly obtained cash from the following schools, again by making false representations that the staff she was supplying were qualified teachers:
Immingham School (now Oasis Academy Immingham) – £37,493.32.
Humberston School (now Humberston Academy) – £6,933.12.
Healing School – £177.28.
Cambridge Park School – £2,500.74.
Whitgift School (now John Whitgift Academy) – £177.28.
