Disneyland fraudster left Wellingborough community centre on verge of collapse

When Adam Humphrey smiled for the Northants Telegraph's camera on September 11, 2019, there was a sense of excitement about the Victoria Centre's 40th anniversary.

Humphrey, who had managed the Wellingborough centre since 2017, told our reporter how important their work was to the community.

But all along he had been defrauding them out of thousands of pounds to live a life of luxury, treating himself to a Disneyland Paris trip, Playstation, stay at a yacht hotel and more.

Even when the net was closing in he continued to steal money before he was sacked the following month when he was finally caught. His despicable actions left the charity unable to cover wages and threatened with court action.

Today (Wednesday) at Northampton Crown Court Humphrey, 37, was jailed for 27 months after admitting fraud by abuse of position.

His Honour Judge David Herbert QC told him: "The impact on the charity has been significant. It was brought to its knees by what had happened."

Over the course of almost 18 months Humphrey had made an estimated 157 fraudulent transactions, stealing a total of £29,750.30.

He had first started volunteering at the multi-cultural community centre in 2015, initially helping with childcare and teaching English to UK newcomers.

By April 2017 he was employed as the charity's manager with a salary and was responsible for running the centre, looking after their IT and managing finances and payroll.

Prosecuting, Neil Bannister said Humphrey set up a Paypal account, linked to one of the charity's two bank accounts, and also had use of a charity credit card.

But his web of deceit started to unravel in April 2019 when a centre coordinator began to notice some suspicious transactions, with unusually high spending on after-school clubs.

Further anomalies were found and it was escalated to the management committee in August before being reported to the Charities Commission and then the police.

Humphrey was then suspended and sacked - despite having technically already sacked himself without his bosses knowing.

Mr Bannister said: "Enquiries established he had issued himself with a P45 in July, effectively ending his own employment.

"He continued to pay his salary for August and September."

The court heard police examined the charity's accounts and found Humphrey, who appeared in the dock aided with a stick because he has multiple sclerosis, had used thousands of pounds of the charity's money for his own purposes.

An estimated 157 fraudulent transactions - between May 2018 and September 2019 - included paying for an iPad, tumble dryer, his own gas and electricity bills and holidays abroad with his wife and then his new partner.

He also used their cash to stay at a yacht hotel in London, for Eurostar tickets, a visit to Disneyland Paris, clothing, a Playstation, his own rent and personal food and petrol transactions.

Humphrey, who later moved to the north east, also made cash withdrawals using either the Paypal account he set up or the charity's credit card, including a direct transfer of £420 on September 29 just before he was suspended.

When he was interviewed by police he admitted taking money but said he believed it was between £15,000 and £20,000.

Mr Bannister said: "He said he was trying to patch things up with his wife and when he met his new partner matters spiralled out of control."

He added that, having started a new relationship with a man, he said his new partner was controlling, with Humphrey 'having to give him money for gambling and a drug habit'.

The court heard of the 'devastating' impact Humphrey's fraud had on the Victoria Centre charity.

In a victim statement, former chairman Michael Parnell said they were unable to pay staff salaries in October and were threatened with court action because they couldn't pay for items.

He said the charity was generously loaned money by two people to cover wages and avoid court action, with some staff resigning months later because of stress. The charity also had to cancel their 40th anniversary celebrations.

Mr Bannister said: "He (Mr Parnell) said he felt he had lost the trust of staff so he resigned his position."

A victim impact statement from new chairman Richard Jackson was also read in court, in which he said Humphrey had still never apologised personally.

Mr Jackson said the charity had relied on generous considerable sums to stay afloat, adding: "But for these funds the organisation might possibly have folded."

Thankfully they managed to survive and ended up playing an important role when the Covid pandemic started months later.

Mitigating, Henry James suggested it was "stretching things" to say the charity was on the verge of collapse.

He said Humphrey was genuinely remorseful, a man of previous good character, had suffered a mental health breakdown since and was depressed and anxious.

He urged Judge Herbert QC to bring the sentence down to a level which could be suspended.

But the judge ruled Humphrey's actions could only warrant a spell in prison.

He said: "This offence is so serious that only a custodial sentence is appropriate."

Humphrey was told he would have to spend up to half of his 27-month sentence behind bars before being released on licence.

A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing was postponed to March next year, although the court heard the fraudster had been declared bankrupt and had no assets.