A conman who stole £6,400 from charity bingo events and tried to blame his ‘aunt’ was jailed yesterday for nine months.
Steven Massey, 39, swindled the cash from Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) between January and October 2020.
Council worker Massey hosted socially distanced street bingo in Castlemilk during the lockdown.
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The environmental operative claimed he kept the proceeds in a tin which he gave to his “aunt” to donate but has not seen her since.
Massey, also of Castlemilk, was convicted at Glasgow Sheriff Court to a single fraud charge totalling £6,417.45.
The court heard that SAMH provided him with items to run the socially distanced neighbourhood bingo events.
Massey told the court in his evidence: "We had families selling books for me.
"People stayed in their garden and some people brought their cars and sat in their cars.
"It was just a normal game of bingo and people won prizes."
Massey stated that he spent some of the cash on prizes such as slow cookers, pillows and duvets.
He added that the rest of the cash destined for SAMH went into a tin.
Scott McQuire, defending, asked where the money went.
Massey replied: "My aunt, I met up with her for a chat and gave her money to give to the charity.
"The charity building was closed on Sundays and I work Monday to Friday and I didn't have time to go to the bank or the charity."
Massey claimed that he trusted aunt "Caroline Weir" with his life.
Massey stated that he posted to Facebook after each event how much money was raised.
He added that he also kept records to keep track but no longer has them as "I didn't think I would need them."
The hearing was told that Massey handed over a phone number to police he claimed belonged to his aunt but it did not work.
Mr McQuire asked what Massey did after he found out that the money was not donated.
Massey: "I started contacting my family and friends to see if they had seen her.
"No one has seen her and I contacted my brothers in Leeds to see if she went back down there and no one seen her."
Massey stated that the last he saw her was in a cafe in Glasgow city centre in September 2020 after the last event.
Massey welled up when asked why he picked SAMH as his chosen charity.
He replied: "I suffer from mental health."
Massey told prosecutor Gail Campbell that he was "close" to his aunt who he claimed was unemployed and in her 60s.
Miss Campbell: "You can't get in touch with her and you told the police and the charity you gave all this money to a person who you were close to who has disappeared off the face of the earth and you don't report her as a missing person, were you not concerned?"
Massey replied: "No."
Miss Campbell: "I suggest you never gave money to Caroline Weir and it's just nonsense."
Massey: "No."
In convicting him, Sheriff Allan McKay told Massey: "I don't believe you and I find you guilty of the charge."
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