Man used money raised 'for Lee Rigby's son' to clear his own overdraft, court hears

Gary Gardner raised at least £24,000 but just £4,000 went to charity because of his 'enthusiasm for promoting emerging music artists', court hears

Gary Gardner outside Leicester Crown Court. The lorry driver denies three counts of fraud (SWNS)

A man has been accused of stealing money collected for the son of murdered soldier Lee Rigby in order to pay off his own overdraft, a court has heard.

Gary Gardner has denied a transfer of £431 from a Nationwide treasurer's trust account in 2016 was to “prop up” his own overdrawn bank account, and was made to cover an expense during the fundraising he was undertaking on behalf of four different charities.

Leicester Crown Court heard that 56-year-old Mr Gardner had spent up to £5,000 donated by the public for Jack Rigby on producing a charity music single which only raised £200.

On the fifth day of the hearing, prosecutor Sam Skinner read out the transcript of a police interview conducted with Mr Gardner at the city's Euston Street police station in February 2016.

In the interview, Mr Gardner told officers that stage-hire costs, event insurance and others expenses meant a charity event in his home village of Medbourne, Leicestershire, had raised a total of £3,000.

Asked why he had set up the Nationwide account, Mr Gardner told police: "Because that's the way you do things properly, I didn't want to pay it into my own account."

One of two interviewing officers then put it to Mr Gardner that he was already £600 overdrawn when £431 was taken out of the trust account.

Mr Gardner responded: "I have drawn it from there-to-there and paid it, obviously, out of mine. It's something I am paying out to somebody.”

"I used my account to pay things. There is no way in this world that I have done anything to prop up my accounts or anything.

"There is obviously a reason for the £431, it's something that I have paid."

During the interview, Mr Gardner also told officers he had spent up to £5,000 on producing the charity music single, which only brought in £200 because “bureaucrats” told the press not to cover it "because it looked political".

Fusilier Lee Rigby was killed outside his barracks in Woolwich, south London in 2013 (PA)

Jurors also heard claims Mr Gardner raised at least £24,000 from various events but only £4,000 made its way to any charity because of his "enthusiasm for promoting emerging music artists".

The lorry driver put on three truck-pull events in 2013, 2014 and 2015 in Medbourne and also in Market Harborough - fundraisers which were attended by thousands of people, including Fusilier Rigby's widow, Rebecca, and his son.

Mr Gardner, of Old Holt Road, Medbourne, denies three counts of fraud.

The trial continues.

Press Association contributed to this report