Is convicted ex accountant Darren Upton practicing?

[Invisiblehand]

He hasn't left Fox Bartfield. His LinkedIn isn't telling the truth.

How do you know that?

[Nigel Miller]

My colleague told me he has just left Fox Bartfield now.

The plot thickens...

He hasn't left Fox Bartfield. His LinkedIn isn't telling the truth.

[Fred Bloggs]

I'm not sure if ICAEW could directly do anything about this as it is a speculative matter at the moment but they could be contacted to follow up if needed i'm sure. Dynamo Accounts is a trading name of Henton & Co LLP according to their website and all the active members of the LLP appear to hold practicing certificates with ICAEW.

As part of the ICAEW firm membership they will be (or should be) undertaking vetting of all staff each year from a 'fit and proper' perspective and this would be checked by their ICAEW visits which are at a maximum of every 6 years I believe but think these limits are changing at the moment.

Martin
Contratax Ltd

I seriously doubt anything could be or would done. It isn't a problem for a discharged ex-convict to work in a finance office is it? Like "We can assure you that if we did employ Mr Upton, it would be in a capacity where he would not be in a position to repeat his past mistakes" etc......

[ContrataxLtd]

I'll add one more to my list of bullet-points above.

• You'd think, since Dynamo Accounts is with ICAEW, that any of the accountants on here who are members of ICAEW (and therefore care about its credibility) would be asking ICAEW to take this up with Dynamo as a matter of urgency. Because this is making me (and I'm not alone) doubt whether having a chartered accountant is worth anything, if they are intentionally or accidentally engaging Darren Upton.

I'm not sure if ICAEW could directly do anything about this as it is a speculative matter at the moment but they could be contacted to follow up if needed i'm sure. Dynamo Accounts is a trading name of Henton & Co LLP according to their website and all the active members of the LLP appear to hold practicing certificates with ICAEW.

As part of the ICAEW firm membership they will be (or should be) undertaking vetting of all staff each year from a 'fit and proper' perspective and this would be checked by their ICAEW visits which are at a maximum of every 6 years I believe but think these limits are changing at the moment.

Martin
Contratax Ltd

[mudskipper]

I'll add one more to my list of bullet-points above.

• You'd think, since Dynamo Accounts is with ICAEW, that any of the accountants on here who are members of ICAEW (and therefore care about its credibility) would be asking ICAEW to take this up with Dynamo as a matter of urgency. Because this is making me (and I'm not alone) doubt whether having a chartered accountant is worth anything, if they are intentionally or accidentally engaging Darren Upton.

TBF, we don't yet know that this is the case - I have asked my accountant for confirmation or otherwise and will reserve judgement until her response.

[WordIsBond]

I'll add one more to my list of bullet-points above.

• You'd think, since Dynamo Accounts is with ICAEW, that any of the accountants on here who are members of ICAEW (and therefore care about its credibility) would be asking ICAEW to take this up with Dynamo as a matter of urgency. Because this is making me (and I'm not alone) doubt whether having a chartered accountant is worth anything, if they are intentionally or accidentally engaging Darren Upton.

[WordIsBond]

I can't prove it on here. I could prove it in court. Because he's the same person.

For those of us who lacked your assurance on the matter, that was still always a possible explanation for why he didn't drag you into court.

[jamesbrown]

Astonishing.

I don't think this is going away.

[Invisiblehand]

Well, well, well. Fox Bartfield is in Leeds. Who says you can't go home again?

Earlier:

Darren Roberts' first post on CUK was in April 2016 on contracting in Sheffield (Yorkshire again). He won best forum advisor in 2016 and 2017 in the annual reader awards, after Upton would have been out. And this was stated on another thread:

To which Darren himself replied:


He knew he didn't get those awards during the time Darren Upton was in prison, and if he were honest he'd have said so, rather than claiming it proved his innocence. So he lied. And that, as much as the obvious physical likeness, is pretty damning. He could have said, 'Not true, my first award wasn't until 2016,' and he'd have actually gained credibility, but liars usually get in such a habit of lying they can't help themselves, and end up lying on things, like this, that are easily disproved.

Also earlier:

No one ever said Darren Upton wasn't knowledgeable. And apparently Dynamo has chosen to profit from that without saying anything?

• You'd think the bloody tabloid press would be interested in this one, given the lurid backstory.
• You'd think anyone at Fox-Bartfield who wants to have any credibility here would be speaking up to say, 'No, it wasn't him, here's proof,' but they aren't.
• You'd think Dynamo would be either saying, 'We blew it,' or 'No, we know it isn't him, and here's why.'
• You'd think IPSE would be ripping any partnership they have with Dynamo to shreds unless there's an immediate and public refutation or explanation.
• You'd also think Companies House would be interested if someone was registered as a person of significant control under a false name.
• You'd think Generate (claimed on his LinkedIn for the time Darren Upton was in prision) would be willing to confirm aye or nay, 'Yes, we had a Darren Roberts here during that time' or 'no, it's a lie'.
• You'd think the bloody parole board might care that he's been practicing accountancy, unless they were so remiss as to not restrict him from that in the terms of his parole.
• You'd think ContractorUK would actually ask someone in the press or at IPSE or somewhere to investigate, since they have been providing a forum for this guy and giving him awards, instead of just sitting silently on this. If this guy was at Fox-Bartfield and Dynamo, how come no one is shining the light on those firms for letting him practice and draw clients in?

Couldn't agree with this more. Everyone is simply being quiet to try and avoid the inevitable egg on their face.

[Nigel Miller]

I love these kind of threads! It's what boards are for.

I particularly liked the 'I have no proof but....' line.

I can't prove it on here. I could prove it in court. Because he's the same person.