Couple sentenced over animal charity fraud

"PURE GREED": Simon and Alayna Price were sentenced on December 22

A FORMER charity boss from Marston Green has been jailed for five years after admitting defrauding Birmingham Dogs Home out of hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Simon Price, 53, who had been the charity's chief executive, was handed a custodial sentence last week after admitting multiple counts of fraud by abuse of position.
His wife Alayna, 39, who had worked as the organisation's commercial manager and head of fundraising, received a two year suspended prison term for her part in the the fraud.
Birmingham Crown Court had heard that specialist investigators from West Midlands Police had begun looking into the couple's dealings last November, when the Dogs Home first reported that £399,274 had gone missing from the sale of a property in Digbeth, Birmingham.
It transpired that Simon Price, who oversaw the transaction, had instructed for proceeds to be paid into his own bank account having claimed it was a business account used by the charity.
He was arrested and subsequently admitted stealing more than £650,000 − money donated by members of the public for animal welfare − and squandering it through online gambling.
Enquiries revealed that he created bogus invoices from solicitors, construction companies and marketing firms − and authorised payments straight into his own account − while his wife stole £250,000 left to the charity in people's wills.
Det Con Arron Cox, from the Economic Crime Unit, said the pair’s home in Somerton Drive, plus another property they owned and rented out in Wheelwright Road, Erdington, had been seized by the force.
He added: "We have control of those properties and will be looking to seize them under the Proceeds of Crime Act and sell them… with the profit being handed back to the Dogs Home.
"We will also be looking to take whatever other assets or cash the couple has that we can show was accrued through this fraud and again refunding the charity. We will do all we can to ensure as much money is paid back as possible.
"This fraud was motivated by pure greed: between them they took home handsome salaries but still felt the need to steal from the charity. And of course they were taking money that had been donated by generous people in the West Midlands and beyond − money that was earmarked for animal care but instead was splashed on gambling and a lavish lifestyle."
The Prices were both previously of good character and the Judge, Patrick Thomas QC, said that he had taken into account that Mrs Price was pregnant in deciding not to impose an immediate custodial sentence.
Birmingham Dogs Home, which was founded in 1892, had moved to a new purpose-built base near Catherine-de-Barnes in 2015.
John Wheatley, the charity's chairman, said: "We remain bitterly disappointed that a position of trust was abused in such a manner, but we now look to the future under the guidance of our new CEO and with measures in place to ensure something like this never happens again.
"Some of the funds have now been returned and we remain hopeful that more can be recovered. We will work closely with the relevant authorities to do all we can on this matter.
"Once again we would like to thank our wonderful supporters for standing with us and helping us to continue to care for our dogs during an exceptionally difficult time."