Background
A middle-aged couple was asked by the parents of the female to “store” some money at their home address with a view to using the money to pay for the funerals of the parents when that time came. The money was contained within a small safe, which itself was placed in a cardboard box, completely sealed with tape.
Mention was made over a number of years as to the amount of money in the safe. These amounts varied greatly from £90k to £50k.
The Temptation
The husband, a respectable, hardworking gentleman, was tempted many times to take the money and set up a business to provide for his children. His intention was always to put the money back once his business prospered.
Eventually, after 4 years of temptation, he opened the package to find a mere few thousand pounds, which would barely cover two funerals. He knew at that moment that he had made a big mistake. He used the money to pay for a family holiday and worried himself that he now had to somehow repay the money and try to hide the fact that he had broken into the safe.
Discovery
Matters came to a head when the parents asked for the safe to be returned. Once the safe was returned, the theft became clear, and it did not take much working out that somebody in the family home, or with access to it, was responsible.
When the Polygraph company was contacted, a thorough pre-test interview was conducted, and all the options available to the family were discussed. Clearly, this was a family matter, but had the Police been involved, then forensic analysis of the safe would have been a good starting point in solving the issue.
The Admission
Once all the possibilities were discussed, the husband admitted that he had taken the money, thinking he could repay it quickly after starting a family business. Once he admitted the theft, he stated that the matter was closed and they would now resolve the issue as a family.
The examiner suggested that there was possibly still an issue around the amount of money that was taken. Obviously, the husband knew how much he had taken, and the parents hopefully knew how much there was in the safe originally.
The Test
It was therefore agreed to polygraph the man on the amount that he had stolen. He was adamant that a certain amount was taken and not a penny more. He subsequently passed the test, which pertained to the amount stolen.
Outcome
This went a long way towards resolving the issue and showed the importance of a thorough pre-test interview. The client knew after speaking to the examiner that the truth in this case was easy to find and that it was better to be exposed as a man who had succumbed to temptation and admitted his mistake, seeking forgiveness, rather than a thief who was also a liar and who would divert attention onto others to avoid responsibility.
The family was grateful that the matter was quickly resolved in a sympathetic way.
