Veteran who swindled Forces charity to feed his gambling addiction faces jail

A FORMER serviceman is facing jail after admitting defrauding a veterans’ charity out of nearly £50,000 to feed his gambling addiction.

Andrew Gallie, who served in the Royal Navy between 1998 and 2011, began working for the Not Forgotten Association in November last year. The 38year-old made a total of 57 payments to himself when he should have been paying invoices while employed as the charity’s office co-ordinator, a court heard.

Gallie, from Gillingham in Kent, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court yesterday wearing a dark grey suit, white shirt and dark blue tie.

He pleaded guilty to a charge of fraud by abuse of position between January 25 and June 19, to a total amount of £47,600.

Magistrates declined jurisdiction to sentence Gallie, telling him the case would be dealt with at Southwark Crown Court at a date to be set.

Chairman of the bench Kenneth Toft told him: “This starts with a very serious custodial sentence and it is one this bench cannot impose.”

The Not Forgotten Association provides entertainment, leisure and recreation for serving, wounded or sick servicemen and women and veterans with disabilities.

It has enjoyed Royal Patronage since 1921, with the duties currently carried out by the Princess Royal.

The charity was welcomed to Buckingham Palace in May as Prince Harry hosted his first garden party, joining hundreds of veterans on the lawns.

Prosecutor Henry Fitch told magistrates Gallie carried out finance and administration work for the charity’s events department.

“In June of this year it transpired... that an invoice that Mr Gallie was supposed to have arranged payment for had not been paid,” said Mr Fitch. When Gallie was confronted he confessed to the scam in an email to bosses.