Zadrozny found guilty of fraud and tax evasion following trial

The jury in his trial at Northampton Crown Court returned on Monday, September 21, finding the 46-year-old guilty on nine counts of fraud and four of tax evasion.

The verdicts came after a jury at Northampton Crown Court had deliberated for nearly 11 hours.

Zadrozny was told by the judge he will be sentenced on 27 November, and was "at risk of an immediate custodial sentence".

Thanking jury members for their "care and attention" during the trial, the judge added the council leader would be given unconditional bail until his sentencing hearing.

Earlier in the trial, the court was told that Zadrozny, the leader of Ashfield District Council, helped himself to £10,300 of Nottinghamshire County Council cash through a scam organisation set up to repair war memorials and a cinema club to watch Carry On films.

Zadrozny also failed to declare rental income from his business as a landlord to the taxman, James Varley, prosecuting, told the court earlier in proceedings.

Although Zadrozny earned around £50,000 a year from his various councillor roles, he was living beyond his means, often in debt, and spending a lot of money to finance that debt, the court heard.

He opened a bank account in the name of “Ashfield Heritage Society” (AHS) on February 11 2018, and three days later allocated £3,500 from his councillor’s divisional fund, as well as £7,500 from those of fellow Ashfield Independent councillors.

AHS was said to be “a new society to support heritage projects in Ashfield”, and the application detailed £500 for a new laptop and £7,000 to clean and repair war memorials to commemorate the end of World War I.

The address on the form was given as “c/o 213 Forest Road” which is an address that does not exist.

It was alleged Zadrozny requested “a big cheque for presentation purposes,” but there was no presentation, no photos of it, and no mention of it anywhere that can be found.

The court heard recipients of the divisional fund must publicly acknowledge donations and the council lists them on its website, and in its accounts, so constituents know where their money is going, said Mr Varley.

The cheque was sent to the defendant, not to the address at Forest Road. The £7,500 was all withdrawn in cash. There was no spending on the bank card, and no cheques were written, except to “cash” when the withdrawals were made.

Later, in August 2018, in the following financial year, Zadrozny asked for £1,600 funding “towards the cost of commemorative events, badges, poppies and road decorations”.

That money was also then withdrawn, also in cash, and again, there are no records of what it was spent on.

He had earlier drafted a note claiming that Mr Brewer, a well-respected local figure and former Ashfield council leader who sadly died from Covid, had been involved in “a number of projects including planting around war memorials, cleaning and maintenance work”.

Mr Varley said this was “clearly a first stab at blaming Tony Brewer and distancing himself from AHS.”

Police officers could find no one who was involved in Ashfield’s local heritage, including Mr Brewer’s partner of 35 years, who would say that Mr Brewer had ever been involved with the AHS, or local war memorials.

“So it seems that firstly no one had ever heard of AHS, and secondly Tony Brewer had nothing to do with it,” said Mr Varley.

Mr Varley said the withdrawals from AHS “may well” have formed part of a house purchase, together with Thomas Hollis, a former deputy leader of Ashfield District Council.

It was eventually made by Helen Smith, a mutual friend, using Hollis’ money.

Helen Smith was a district councillor for Ashfield Independents, a tenant of Zadrozny’s, and a Nottingham County Councillor who had contributed to AHS.

Zadrozny transferred £12,000 from his own bank account to Thomas Hollis, who was looking to buy a house on Forest Road, on January 12, 2018.

The property was purchased by Helen Smith in April 2018 for £75,000.

Although it was paid for by her, the funds had come from Mr Hollis and the defendant: Hollis wrote Smith a cheque for £70,626, (£12,000 of which had come from the defendant) and a further £5,000 that Smith had deposited, in cash, into her account on April 3.

But the CCC never actually put on any events and all the funds were withdrawn in June.

Zadrozny also set up the “Classic Cinema Club” (CCC), with a fellow district councillor, Ciaran Brown, to watch old movies, including the “Carry On” films, in 2018, and applied for £1,200 funding which was handed out in November 2018.

Summing up the case for the defence on Thursday, September 17, Zadrozny’s barrister Sam Robinson KC had asked the jury to “set aside prejudices about politicians”, and accused the police of carrying out a “blinkered investigation”.