Ex-Royal Navy man jailed for defrauding veterans charity

Angry former servicemen attend Dundee Sheriff Court to hear Fife fraudster sentenced to 13 months

A “Walter Mitty” fraudster who defrauded a veterans charity out of tens of thousands of pounds was jailed for 13 months yesterday.

James Reilly, 66, embezzled £60,000 from a charity set up to help wounded army veterans.

Reilly previously admitted fraudulently obtaining the funds from the Tayforth Veterans Project in City Quay, Dundee. The charity was set up in 2011.

A minibus full of angry veterans descended on Dundee Sheriff Court to witness Reilly, of Main Street, Balmullo, be jailed.

As the 66-year-old was led from court, former comrades wished him “happy holidays”.

After Sheriff Alastair Brown jailed Reilly for 13 months, veteran Jake Reid, of the Scots Guards, said Reilly should have been given a longer sentence.

He added: “It’s better than a slap on the wrist. But he should have got longer. He knew what he was doing from day one.”

Another veteran added: “If he hadn’t been jailed, we would have been.”

During yesterday morning’s hearing, the court was told Reilly transferred cash from the charity’s bank account to his own personal account under the headings of “loan repayments” and “salary”.

The court also heard Reilly told police he was up to his ears in debt while being quizzed in an earlier interrogation.

Depute fiscal Joanne Smith told the court volunteers began to become suspicious of Reilly’s behaviour after it became apparent he had obtained blank cheques.

Ms Smith added: “The accused was having a lot of work done to his home against the background of having no income, this raised suspicions.”

Defence solicitor Billy Boyle revealed Reilly was aware he had “brought a great deal of shame upon himself and his family”.

Mr Boyle said his client had served as a Royal Navy diver for 17 years and was of the opinion that, having served as a bomb disposal diver, he “had been through worse”.

As he sent Reilly to prison, Sheriff Brown said he believed Reilly started the Tayforth Veterans Project with “the best of intentions”, but soon became out of his depth.

Sheriff Brown added: “The sense of betrayal caused to your former colleagues is clear to see simply by looking at the public benches.”

He added that he believed the correct sentence to be one of 13 months imprisonment, reduced from 15 due to Reilly’s earlier guilty plea.

The sense of betrayal caused to your former colleagues is clear to see simply by looking at the public benches. SHERIFF ALASTAIR BROWN

Pictures: Kim Cessford/Alan Richardson.

Veterans and supporters of the charity, from left, Les Mason, Jake Reid, Phil Powell, Stuart Lavery, Robert McGhee, George Ness and Avril Young attended the court to hear James Reilly, above, be sentenced to 13 months for fraud.