"Help For Heroes" Fraudster Jailed For 15 Months

 A bogus "Help for Heroes" collector who pocketed thousands of pounds by posing in military uniform and pretending to be a serving soldier was today jailed for 15 months.

David Santini, 55, was caught collecting cash from the public whilst posing as an ex-serviceman at an antiques fair.

Police had become suspicious about the style of his uniform, however the convicted fraudster claimed to have "just got back from Afghanistan" when he was challenged about his charity work, a court heard.

However, Santini could not produce an Armed Forces identity card when asked, and it was later discovered that he had not been a soldier since 1983 when he was given a "dishonourable discharge."

Passing sentence, Judge Simon Hirst told Santini it was agreed that he had made a benefit of £6,806-16 by posing as a legitimate collector for Help for Heroes.

Judge Hirst said:

"On 6 June 2014 police in course of a routine patrol at Newark antiques fair saw you collecting in a bucket for Help for Heroes.

"You told the police that you had just returned from Afghanistan and that this was your punishment after getting in to some bother with some paratroopers, and that you were staying at RAF Waddington.

"Both of those things were lies."

Lincoln Crown Court heard there was an element of "planning" to Santini's crimes.

Siward James-Moore, prosecuting, said:

 "There was the uniform and various items which he used to give the impression he worked for the charity.

"People were distressed when they discovered he was not who he said he was."

"One of the officers became suspicious of the uniform he was wearing as it was part Royal Marine, and part Royal Airforce.

"There were also suspicions from another stallholder who said Santini could not talk about his regiment.

"He was asked for his Armed Forces identity card. At that point he said he didn't have one and tried to say that he hadn't said he was in the Forces, but had been in the past."

The court heard Santini also befriended Patricia Taylor, a widow in her 70s who suffered with early Alzheimer's, and pocketed £2,000 which she wanted to donate to a separate Lincolnshire based charity called 'Help for our local Heroes and Veterans.'

"Mrs Taylor said to her son in 2014 that she gave £200 to a man called Dave," Mr Moore told the court. "The son later learnt it was £2,000.

"There has been a high impact on Mrs Taylor."

The court heard Santini has a string of previous convictions for dishonesty beginning in 1978 when he was convicted of burglary as a juvenile.

On one occasion Santini claimed he needed money to buy himself out of the Army and flee country, and on another Santini said he needed cash to give to fellow soldiers.

Diane Mundill, mitigating, told the court all the cash collected at Newark was in the possession of the police and Mrs Taylor's money had been paid back to her.

Miss Mundill said there were also receipts to show Santini had paid £970 to the 'Help our local Heroes and Veterans' charity.'

She added:

"He has been living in a mobile home for a number of years, he fully understands he will not be going back there."

Jailing Santini, Judge Hirst told him that his offences were aggravated by his previous convictions and the age of Mrs Taylor.

The judge said:

"You are a man with a history of using people's affection for the Armed Forces to assist your dishonesty.”

Santini, of North Drove, Quadring, Lincs, pleaded guilty to two charges of fraud between June and October, 2014, and a charge of theft from Mrs Taylor.