Shropshire Star

Bogus Shrewsbury charity collector took money from heroes' fund to pay for lodgings

A bogus charity collector who was stopped by police in Shrewsbury had stolen a total of £380 from Help for Heroes because he was homeless, a court heard.

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Nicholas William Dodd, 26, was stopped in Shrewsbury's Pride Hill while soliciting for donations for the armed forces charity.

Prosecuting at Telford Magistrates Court, Mrs Kate Price said that Dodd had been wearing a Help For Heroes permit and carrying wristbands and stickers when he was stopped and questioned by police on March 27, 2014. Police found that Dodd's licence did not give him permission to collect for the charity at that time and place and discovered £89.67 in his rucksack.

Dodd had taken part in a legitimate charity drive at a Debenhams shop in Manchester at the start of the month, but had disappeared with the £292.35 funds at the end of the day, the court was told.

He was sentenced to a total of 35 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months and given an 18-month community order with supervision and 250 hours of unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay £292.35 compensation, prosecution costs of £150 and a victim surcharge of £80.

Mrs Price said that Dodd, of Moston, Manchester, had broken rules for the charity which demanded money be deposited immediately following a collection drive.

Despite protests by staff at the Manchester shop, Dodd had taken the money home and then called the charity to say that would write them a cheque for £292.39.

Help for Heroes attempted to contact him only to discover that the address he had given them was only temporary.

Dodd initially denied one offence of fraud by false representation and one of theft by employee but changed his plea to guilty on the day of his trial, the court was told.

Mr Steven Meredith, for Dodd, said that the defendant had been "very remorseful".

He said Dodd had no place of his own and had been staying with friends when he originally signed up with Help for Heroes.

He said Dodd had offered to work for the charity with genuine good intent, but had been under the impression that expenses for accommodation and food would be paid.

Dodd took the money to pay for accommodation and had hoped that he would be able to pay the charity back with a cheque.

Magistrate Lynda Baker-Oliver said: "These are appalling offences in the fact that they denied our servicemen through Help for Heroes of financial support and they denied those people who gave through this charity."

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