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Ex-Birmingham Dogs Home boss jailed for £900k fraud | Ex-Birmingham Dogs Home boss jailed for £900k fraud |
(35 minutes later) | |
The former boss of Birmingham Dogs Home has been jailed for five years for defrauding the charity of £900,000 over a four-year period. | The former boss of Birmingham Dogs Home has been jailed for five years for defrauding the charity of £900,000 over a four-year period. |
Simon Price, 53, of Somerton Drive, Solihull, had pleaded guilty to 10 counts of fraud by abuse of position. | Simon Price, 53, of Somerton Drive, Solihull, had pleaded guilty to 10 counts of fraud by abuse of position. |
He admitted fraud for sums ranging between £9,690 for a false invoice and £399,350 connected to the sale of a house. | He admitted fraud for sums ranging between £9,690 for a false invoice and £399,350 connected to the sale of a house. |
His ex-partner Alayna Price, 39, was given a two-year suspended sentence. | His ex-partner Alayna Price, 39, was given a two-year suspended sentence. |
Alayna Price, who is seven months pregnant and of Hill Village Road, Sutton Coldfield, admitted five counts of the same charge, relating to "legacy payments" amounting to about £254,000. | Alayna Price, who is seven months pregnant and of Hill Village Road, Sutton Coldfield, admitted five counts of the same charge, relating to "legacy payments" amounting to about £254,000. |
At a previous hearing, the court heard the mother of one - the charity's commercial manager - had paid back £130,000 to the home. | |
She cried as Judge Patrick Thomas QC said her sentence would be suspended. | She cried as Judge Patrick Thomas QC said her sentence would be suspended. |
He told Mrs Price: "You are sole carer (to a child) and you are pregnant with another child, due in February. | He told Mrs Price: "You are sole carer (to a child) and you are pregnant with another child, due in February. |
"These are matters no court could conceivably ignore." | "These are matters no court could conceivably ignore." |
Mr Price, a gambling addict, calculated to police that he had spent £700,000 through his account on the Betfair website from 2009. | Mr Price, a gambling addict, calculated to police that he had spent £700,000 through his account on the Betfair website from 2009. |
Police said the couple's fraud was "motivated by pure greed". | |
None of the money stolen by Mr Price had been repaid, and is unlikely to be recovered, the court was told. | |
John Wheatly, chairman of Birmingham Dogs Home said staff felt "very badly let down" after the "serious breach of trust". | |
The offences at the Solihull-based charity happened between February 2012 and June last year. | The offences at the Solihull-based charity happened between February 2012 and June last year. |
Tracy Howarth, from the Charity Commission, said she hoped the sentencing "sends a strong message that the abuse of charities for personal gain will not be tolerated". |