18 NEWS
DECEMBER 2023
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CONVICTED FRAUDSTER CHARITIES BENEFIT TO BE SENTENCED FROM MONEY RAISED
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FORMER employee of the Hailsham Memorial Institute Club who stole more than £100,000 from the venue is due to be sentenced. As Hailsham News was going to press, 64-year-old Jeanette Gardner was due to appear at Hove Crown Court to be sentenced following her conviction in October. She was appointed the paid Jeanette Gardner role of administrator in 2006 and engineered absolute financial control of the club. However, in 2019, club members became concerned about Gardner’s actions when they failed to receive confirmation of receipt of funds raised at a ‘Full Monty’ charity event held by HMI in aid of Orchid Cancer Charity. After an internal investigation conducted by HMI, Gardner was dismissed from her role in August 2019. The matter was then reported to Sussex Police. A three-year investigation ensued which uncovered large-scale frauds, thefts and abuse of position offences. The investigation found Gardner had stolen from HMI and made fraudulent claims against the club. These included falsifying her employment contracts to pay herself a higher salary, giving herself pay rises without authorisation, withholding payments to HMRC, false accounting and laundering £26,000 of the stolen money out of the country to India.
She falsified weekly accounts to steal cash from the social club and would often include personal purchases in receipts claimed back from the club. Payments were also received into her bank account for events and services provided by HMI. Gardner failed to pass on money raised at HMI fundraising events to charities, including approximately £3,000 to the male cancer charity Orchid. During the investigation, Gardner also brazenly made fraudulent claims for Universal Credit, which were uncovered by police. Her trial began on 18 September 2023 at Hove Crown Court. During the trial, she pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position but maintained her innocence in relation to all the other charges. On Friday 20 October, Gardner was found guilty of eight of the 11 charges against her: four counts of fraud by abuse of position; fraud by false representation; theft; transferring criminal property; and fraud by failing to disclose information. She was found not guilty of three charges — two counts of fraud by abuse of position; and one count of theft. Hailsham News approached Gardner for a comment as she left a local restaurant ahead of her sentencing, which was refused. The result of her sentencing can be found at https://hailsham.news
AT BONFIRE EVENT
Hailsham Bonfire Society has presented cash boosts to two chosen charities with money that was raised at the town’s annual bonfire celebrations. HBS President, Rose Pickett, presented the cheque to St Wilfrids Hospice, and Corporate Community Fundraiser Debbie Elliott and Community Fundraiser Michele Mitchell were at the presentation to receive the money. The Society’s ‘Captain of bucket collections’, Adrian Woodford, also presented a cheque to members of the Blue Van Ex Forces Veterans’ drop-in organisation. Both received £608, which was donated by members of the public during the Hailsham Bonfire Society celebration night on the 21st October. Chairman Dave Chapman said: “We would like to say a big thank you to the public for their generous donations allowing us to support these two good causes.” The presentation took place at The Crown Hotel, Hailsham, on Monday 27th November
