{"id":181228,"date":"2023-11-01T16:23:42","date_gmt":"2023-11-01T16:23:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotworldreport.com\/?p=181228"},"modified":"2023-11-01T16:23:42","modified_gmt":"2023-11-01T16:23:42","slug":"tory-agent-who-blew-9k-raised-for-son-of-late-councillor-spared-jail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotworldreport.com\/world-news\/tory-agent-who-blew-9k-raised-for-son-of-late-councillor-spared-jail\/","title":{"rendered":"Tory agent who blew \u00a39k raised for son of late councillor spared jail"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Conservative election agent who blew \u00a39,000 on alcohol after it was raised for bereaved son of popular former councillor is spared jail<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Alexander Shayler, 33, took \u00a39k from GoFundMe for son of late Tory councillor<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A former Tory Party election agent who pocketed the \u00a39,000 raised for the bereaved son of a former councillor has been spared prison.<\/p>\n<p>Alexander Shayler, 33 of Greenway, Maidstone, helped set up a GoFundMe page for Anton Roche, the son of Leila Roy, a popular former Conservative councillor for Camden, who died aged 39 from a heart condition in February 2021.<\/p>\n<p>The campaign raised \u00a317,000 and the balance was to be paid to Anton on his 18th birthday.<\/p>\n<p>After Ms Roy&#8217;s funeral had been paid for and other outstanding costs cleared the total amount was \u00a39,252.<\/p>\n<p>It was Shayler&#8217;s responsibility to safeguard the money until Anton turned 18 in February this year.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/01\/14\/77272913-12697755-image-a-54_1698849717682.jpg\" height=\"1064\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Former Tory Party election agent\u00a0Alexander Shayler, 33, who pocketed the \u00a39,000 raised for the bereaved son of a former councillor has been spared jail<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/01\/14\/77272915-12697755-image-a-55_1698849724193.jpg\" height=\"644\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Shayler helped set up a GoFundMe page for Anton Roche, the son of Leila Roy (pictured), a popular former Conservative councillor for Camden, who died aged 39 from a heart condition in February 2021<\/p>\n<p>But there was only \u00a3100 left in the account after Shayler spent the cash on his own living expenses, Wood Green Crown Court heard.<\/p>\n<p>Shayler confessed immediately to his former employer as well as the other trustees and by May he had paid the full amount back to Anton.<\/p>\n<p>He has been involved in three general election campaigns but now works in a supermarket, the court heard.<\/p>\n<p>Elega Simpson, prosecuting, said: &#8216;In February 2021, A woman named Leila Roy died suddenly and unexpectedly and left behind her 16 year old son Anton.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Kelly Whittaker and Amit Shah decided to set up a GoFundMe page to pay for funeral costs, university tuition and general living expenses for Anton.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;They raised \u00a317,000, which would be given to Anton when he turned 18 this year.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;The defendant, who had previously worked with Leila Roy agreed to look after the money, of which he had sole access.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Over time, funds were drawn for various living expenses for Anton.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;When Anton turned 18 in February this year, the defendant informed Miss Whittaker that he had spent the remaining money.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;He agreed to pay it back by June this year.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Anton himself says he felt overwhelmed and scared by this defendant as well as feeling betrayed by him.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Anton was particularly vulnerable due to his age, his financial circumstances and most importantly his recent bereavement.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>Alex Jamieson, defending Shayler, said: &#8216;To Anton Roche, to Leila Roy and to Amit Shah, while there is significant mitigation in this case, what happened here was simply wrong.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;He has written to Anton, it is a genuine apology.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;He was the person that confessed.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;He has repaid the money and he has taken treatment and counselling.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;More and more of his expenses were eating into these funds and mainly that was alcohol.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;On 5 February this year, he was extremely drunk and put a knife to his throat.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;It was not an attempt at suicide, it was a superficial wound.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;But the next day, he told his employer and he told the trustees.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;The funds were repaid by May and the manner in which they were repaid came in 2 ways &#8211; garnishing a substantial amount of his wages &#8211; \u00a31,000 a month, and also from loans, from his employer and from a dear friend.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;There are a great number of mitigating features.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Firstly, his guilty plea.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Secondly, his cooperation, he told his employer, he told the trustees and then he paid the money back, criminal proceedings did not begin until July of that year.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;His previous good character &#8211; in terms of a lack of previous convictions and overcoming substantial difficulties.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;At the time of this, he was suffering from mental health issues as well as substance abuse.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Mr Shayler has lost his employment and his career as a result of this offence.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;He does now have employment with a supermarket.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;He regards today as an important day.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;He has lost a career that was of real importance to him.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;He has showed determination to address the addiction.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;He cannot change what he did, he has not sought to excuse it, but since he confessed it, he has done everything he could to address it.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/01\/15\/77275063-12697755-Shayler_of_Greenway_Maidstone_admitted_one_count_of_fraud_He_was-m-57_1698851845573.jpg\" height=\"447\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Shayler, of Greenway, Maidstone, admitted one count of fraud. He was sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court (pictured) to 10 months&#8217; imprisonment, suspended for two years, and must perform 250 hours of community service<\/p>\n<p>Sentencing, Judge Alexander Jacobs said: &#8216;I am to sentence you for one offence of committing fraud.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;It was your position to safeguard Anton Roche.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;You indicated a guilty plea at the magistrates&#8217; court at the very first opportunity.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Your victim to this fraud was a 16-year-old boy who had lost his mother unexpectedly.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Friends, you included, joined together to raise funds for Anton Roche&#8217;s future.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;You were a friend of Anton&#8217;s late mother.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;\u00a317,000 in total was raised by well-wishers and those meaning only good for Anton.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;On his 18th birthday, there was only \u00a3100 left.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Some of the funds were used legitimately for funeral costs as well as for Anton.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;You told the other trustees of the fund, what had happened and you agreed to pay the money back.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Not withstanding that, those other trustees felt it was a criminal matter.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;You fully admitted to it when the police were involved.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;I am told that all of the money that you stole has now been paid as of May of this year, that is before the police even interviewed you.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;You repaid it before the police were even involved, which shows to me genuine remorse and a desire to write the wrong.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Anton feels overwhelmed, scared and betrayed by what you have done.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Kelly Whittaker, who was one of the other trustees, while not herself a victim, she felt responsible.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Amit Shah, another involved in the crowd funding, said &#8216;I feel ashamed&#8217; &#8211; why should he feel ashamed, he has no reason to at all.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Those two individuals of course should feel nothing of the sort.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;This was you and you alone and you accept that.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>The judge referred to Shayler&#8217;s own bereavement, losing his job, and addressing his alcohol problems.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;I have listened to and read a great deal of mitigation on your behalf.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;You have a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and general anxiety disorder.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;I have read the letter from your counsellor and from Change Grow Live (CGL), I have read those character references, those have to be read in the context that what you did was behind everyone&#8217;s back.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;On your behalf, your barrister concedes that it crosses the custody threshold.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;The important point to note to me is the work that you have done with a councillor, CGL and so on, all took place before police were involved.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;You have done all of that in any event, not expecting or knowing that it would be a matter that would trouble the court.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;There are no aggravating factors, there are though mitigating factors that the court must take into account.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;You were a man of previous good character, you have now lost that, your character, your cooperation with the investigation and early admission and steps to address your issues.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;I have taken all of that into account.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>Shayler admitted one count of fraud. He was sentenced to 10 months&#8217; imprisonment, suspended for two years, and must perform 250 hours of community service.<\/p>\n<p>Shayler was also ordered to pay Anton \u00a31,000 in compensation by April 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-12697755\/Conservative-election-agent-9000-bereaved-son-councillor-spared-jail.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Conservative election agent who blew \u00a39,000 on alcohol after it was raised for bereaved son of popular former councillor is spared jail Alexander Shayler, 33, took \u00a39k from GoFundMe for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":181227,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Tory agent who blew \u00a39k raised for son of late councillor spared jail - 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