A GoFundMe fraudster who spent donations made to the grieving son of a former councillor on booze has been spared jail.
£17,000 was raised to support then-16-year-old Anton Roche after the sudden death of his mother, former Camden councillor Leila Roy.
Alexander Shayler, a former election agent for the Conservative Party and close friend of Leila, volunteered to hold the money until Anton turned 18.
But by Anton’s 18th birthday only £100 remained.
Around £8,000 had been used to pay the funeral costs and other legitimate expenses for Anton. But the other £9,000 had been squandered by Shayler, largely on alcohol.
On Tuesday (October 31) 33-year-old Shayler appeared at Wood Green Crown Court where he was sentenced for fraud by abuse of position. Prosecutor Elega Simpson summarised the facts of the case.
During the Covid lockdown in February 2021, Leila died unexpectedly from a heart condition aged 39.
“Leila’s friends decided, in her memory, to set up a GoFundMe page for Anton to pay for funeral costs, university costs, rent, bills and general living expenses. Over time, it raised £17,000,” Ms Simpson said.
It was agreed that the money should be held for Anton until he turned 18 in February 2023.
Shayler, who had previously worked with Leila, offered to hold the money in his personal bank account until that date.
“Over time funds were withdrawn for various living expense for Anton, but later he transferred the money into a joint bank account with his girlfriend and those funds were used by both of them,” Ms Simpson.
When Anton turned 18 Shayler confessed what he had done to the other trustees and agreed to pay back the money in instalments.
But, shocked by Shayler’s betrayal, the other trustees also reported him to the police.
Judge Alexander Jacobs told Shayler: “Anton feels overwhelmed, scared and betrayed by what you did. That’s the word isn’t it, a gross betrayal.”
The court heard that the incident has affected Anton’s ability to trust people in general.
Alex Jamieson, representing Shayler in court, said: “While there is substantial mitigation in this case, there is no excuse. What happened in this case was simply wrong and no one appreciates that more than Alexander Shayler.”
Mr Jamieson said that Shayler was solely responsible for the fraudulent activity.
“It was his responsibility to safeguard the funds, if he put the funds in an account that both [he and his girlfriend] had access to that was his fault,” Mr Jamieson said.
Explaining how Shayler spent the money, Mr Jamieson said: “At the outset the only spending was the funeral expenses and other items for Anton. But then more and more of his own expenses began eating into the funds, and normally that was alcohol.”
Shayler had suffered a decline in his mental health and became dependent on alcohol, the court heard.
Mr Jamieson added by the time Shayler was interviewed by police he had already returned all of the money and had taken steps towards self-improvement including counselling and treatment.
Judge Jacobs gave Shayler, of Greenway in Maidstone, a 10-month jail term, suspended for two years.
He also ordered him to complete 250 hours of unpaid work and pay Anton £1,000 in compensation.
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