The mastermind behind a £700,000 scam involving a magazine business which pretended to raise cash for emergency services has been jailed for four years.

Judge Niclas Parry told ex-paratrooper William Stringfellow, 51, of Killins Lane, Shotton and five others involved in the con: “All of you to varying degrees were involved in a despicable fraud conspiracy based on taking advantage of the fact that people are generally decent and generous.”

 Other businesses were misled into believing cash would be used to publicise the work of emergency services.

“They were often led to believe they were being called by the police or on behalf of the police,” the judge said.

Nearly £750,000 was raised but only £5,000 paid to the emergency services.

Judge Parry told Caernarfon Crown Court yesterday that “young, desperate people” were employed on commission-only by the crooked outfit.

Defence barrister Peter Moss said Stringfellow, who had been convicted by a jury of conspiracy to defraud between 2009 and 2013, earned £100,000 income from the alleged activity.

The other defendants pleaded guilty. 

Gary Chare, 31, of Courbet Drive, Connah’s Quay, who gained £53,000, and Leah Lewis, 33, of Chester Close, Shotton, whose lawyer said she had failed to correct customers who believed they were making charitable donations, both received two-year suspended jail terms and must carry out 300 hours of unpaid work.

Chare has to pay £3,000 costs and Lewis £2,500 costs.

Former nurse Beverley Meakins, 57, of Chester Road, Oakenholt, who made £3,000 commission from telesales, and Karl Roderick, 29, from Deva Avenue, Connah’s Quay, received 18 months suspended prison terms with 200 hours unpaid work ordered and £3,000 costs.

Daniel Glachan, 25, of Brunswick Road, Buckley, who earned £3,500, was placed under a 12 months suspended prison sentence and must do 100 hours unpaid work and pay £1,000 costs.

The prosecution had alleged Emergency Support Services, based at Shotton, had pretended to work on behalf of 999 services and to be a charitable organisation, and that money used to buy adverts was donated to the emergency services.

Only a small number of magazines were printed. Workers cold-called businesses and persuaded them that they were launching campaigns to raise awareness of issues such as drug abuse and internet safety.

Stringfellow, it was claimed, used a false name when advertising for his staff and he lied about the circulation of the publication.

His counsel said: ”He’s always accepted responsibility for what happened. The issue was dishonesty.”

The prosecution was brought by Flintshire Council and the National Trading Standards Investigation Team for Wales.

After the hearing Cllr Chris Bithell, Flintshire Council’s cabinet member for public protection, said: “These sentences reflect the seriousness of the offences committed.

“Flintshire’s Trading Standards service has put a great deal of resource into investigating this fraud and that effort has been rewarded by the court in recognising the gravity of this type of crime. 

“This sends out a clear warning to others.”

Richard Powell, Flintshire Trading Standards team leader, added: “This was a blatant attempt to defraud businesses out of money using the good reputation of our emergency services. 

“The business was happy to mislead businesses into believing they were representing the police, and they did not care who they targeted. 

“In one case their own records showed that a pensioner was targeted year on year despite the fact she said she had no money and asked them to stop. 

“If any business believes they have been targeted by a similar fraud they need to contact their Trading Standards service.”

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