Jimmy’s night shelter in Cambridge – helping the homeless and rough sleepers in the city for nearly 30 years – has been defrauded of more than £6,000 by a man it supported and helped.
Nathan King, 40, used the company code of Jimmy’s night shelter to book a “staggering” number of taxi journeys over four months, from February to May this year.
He fraudulently gave his key worker’s name along with the code to charge the journeys back to the charity.
Invoices and voice recordings from the taxi company were supplied to police and King, of Birdwood Road, Cambridge, later pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and breach of a suspended sentence order.
He was jailed for 15 months at Cambridge Crown Court today (20 November).
Detective constable Luca Bellomo, who investigated, said: “King booked a staggering and excessive number of journeys over a four-month period, which cost the night shelter more than £6000.
“The shelter is a vital lifeline for people living on the street and provides food, shelter and support for thousands of people across the city, including King himself.
“King was well aware he was not permitted to use the code or use a false name in order to make the bookings.
“We take cases of fraud extremely seriously and will do our utmost to bring offenders before the courts and work with partner agencies to recoup losses for companies, charities and individuals.”
Jimmy’s opened in 1995 as Cambridge’s first all year round night shelter and now offers a much wider range of support. It remains one of the most prominent organisations within the community supporting people who have been rough sleeping in the city.
The organisation was inspired by Jim Dilley, who spent much of his life sleeping rough. In the last few years of his life, ‘home’ for Jim was under the bridge at Junction 13 of the M11. That bridge is still represented in Jimmy’s logo.
Whilst Jimmy’s has undergone several significant transformations since it opened, its ethos has remained the same – placing people at the heart of the support it provides.
