Would a google search find someone with a conviction?

Davina40

There's a rumour at my workplace that someone has a conviction for theft at a previous job that they've kept quiet. I've tried googling his details but I haven't found anything.

Is it possible in this day and age that something like that wouldn't be on the internet anywhere?

PasturesNew

http://www.thelawpages.com/legal-directory/crown-courts.php

For theft he might have nicked a cheese sandwich from a supermarket

bryanb

A conviction would show on a CRB check, if the job requires one.

Hmm71

Why is it any of your business anyway?

Davina40

Thanks PasturesNew, good link. I can't find him on there, but I think it would have been a magistrate's court and the records there aren't complete. So I think the answer to my original question is probably yes it might not show up on an internet search.

The allegation is for considerably more than a cheese sandwich and did relate to the workplace. A CRB wasn't done, maybe now it should be. I'll pass on the info to my superiors and let them decide if anything needs doing.

Davina40

Hmm71 wrote: »

Why is it any of your business anyway?

Because I care about the company I work for and the people I work for and with.

Uncertain

Davina40 wrote: »

Because I care about the company I work for and the people I work for and with.

Maybe so, buy you still need to be careful with unsubstantiated rumours.

CRB checks can only be done under certain circumstances. Whilst any conviction is a matter of public record after a certain time it becomes "spent" and doesn't need to be disclosed. I'm not a expert in this area but I think I'm right in saying that this happens sooner if a conditional discharge was imposed rather than a fine etc. I think the difference may be considerable - two years rather than six??

Hmm71

http://www.justice.gov.uk/
The above website has more details on when convictions become spent, some never do.
I just can't help feeling sorry for this poor person Davina40 has decided to investigate with no authorisation from anyone, apparently.
Just suppose for a moment that the rumour is true - how do you know your employers aren't already aware of the conviction and were willing to give the person a second chance? How do you know what the circumstances were that led to the theft? Maybe that person was just so desperate at that time and felt that they had nowhere to turn so did something stupid and regretted it forever after. Maybe it was their one and only time they ever committed a criminal act and would never dream of doing it again.
Maybe, just maybe, you could drop it, mind your own business and give the poor sod a chance?
If he/she does turn out to be a career criminal and steals again then leave your employers to deal with it.

SueC_2

I'd also recommend familiarising yourself with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act before doing anything further.

http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/offenders/rehabilitation/rehabilitation-offenders.pdf

helpfullurker

Personally, I have a great deal of sympathy with the OP. Here is my story.

I was an interim CEO of a charity which recruited someone with more specific experience than I had (or wanted) to replace me permanently. Of course, the staff googled the new person - and found nothing. It wasn't until someone used Yahoo, on this occasion, that they found a very recent court report where the person had been found guilty of stealing money from a charity where they were a trustee. An interesting situation for me, as I had to suspend my successor, and try to boot OUR trustees into handling the situation. It seems all too easy, without a CRB (our lazy adminstrator had failed to follow procedures ) for someone with any sort of conviction to walk into a job......

(And of course this is not my usual login, as the story above identifies me rather precisely!!!!)

MissSarah1972

Davina40 wrote: »

There's a rumour at my workplace that someone has a conviction for theft at a previous job that they've kept quiet. I've tried googling his details but I haven't found anything.

Is it possible in this day and age that something like that wouldn't be on the internet anywhere?

Have they lied on their application?