Derbyshire fraudster stole from Nottinghamshire charity so he could pay house deposit

Darren Pickering, 37, was employed by Nottingham-based charity the Renewal Trust and its trading subsidiary company, Hungerhill Trading Limited, between August 18, 2015, and December 21, 2018.

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The charity supports children, young people, adults and communities in Nottinghamshire.

Pickering, of Bonsall Street, Long Eaton, was employed by the charity as a full-time property manager.

He transferred money from the trust to pay fraudulent invoices – with the funds going into his own bank account.

Shameful Pickering swindled more than £73,000.

He used the money he had fraudulently gained to pay a deposit on a house he was buying in Derbyshire.

On Friday, Pickering was jailed for two years after pleading guilty to a charge of fraud by abuse of position at Nottingham Crown Court.

After he was locked up, Detective Sergeant Anna Haynes, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was a significant amount of money for the charity which Pickering stole for his own selfish gain.

“He was a trusted member of staff but he abused and exploited his position.

“This was a complex investigation and I’m glad Pickering pleaded guilty.

“The evidence against him was overwhelming.

“I hope this case sends a clear message to those who believe they can abuse their position for their own financial gain that offences will be uncovered and you will be brought before the courts to answer to your crimes,” she added.

A spokesperson for the Renewal Trust said: “This was a shocking matter for us and we are glad to see justice has been served.

“While we believe this was an isolated incident, we have worked closely with our auditors and undertaken a review of internal financial processing to help safeguard the charity for the future and are working towards recuperating the funds taken.

“We look forward to moving ahead and continuing to provide services and support people in our community.”

The Renewal Trust supports people by offering a number of young people's programmes, community initiatives, sports schemes and employability assistance.

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