Former detective constable Justin Lott, 40, of Bridgend, pocketed thousands of pounds from the force’s triathlon club and athletics club funds
A police officer stole nearly £30,000 from sports clubs he ran for South Wales Police – including money for a charity fund set up by a dying colleague.
Former detective constable Justin Lott, 40, of Bridgend, pocketed thousands of pounds from the force’s triathlon club and athletics club funds over a period of four years.
The defendant’s wife Sharyn Lott, also a police officer, had also been accused of acquiring criminal property in relation to the theft but her not guilty plea was accepted by the CPS.
The couple, from Oaklands Road in Bridgend, were in charge of running sports and social clubs.
Justin Lott admitted stealing £9,439.25 from the South Wales Police Bridgend Triathlon Club between 2014 and 2016.
The officer also pleaded guilty to the theft of £10,542.95 from the South Wales Police Central Division Athletics Club fund over the same period.
He also admitted stealing £9,280 from December 2011, making a total of £29,262.20.
A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Thursday heard Lott was living “beyond his means” and is currently in debt to the tune of £325,000 despite his offending.
The defendant used his position as treasurer to transfer money from the athletics and triathlon club accounts to his own personal account with transactions made shortly afterwards.
His offending came to light after his failure to deal with requests to replace a broken television at the Bridgend Bridewell police gym in 2016.
He was served with a regulation notice of investigation and later resigned from his position with South Wales Police before being officially dismissed by the force.
As well as paying for events, equipment, and training, the clubs’ membership money was used towards charities and good causes supported by the police.
Lott’s friend and colleague Mike Evans, a serving police officer, was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour in 2016.
Prosecutor Robin Rouch told the court it was Mr Evans’ ambition to to raise money for Veindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff and the athletics club agreed to donate £500 to a JustGiving page set up for this purpose.
The defendant transferred £500 to his own account and, though the charity received £500, this came from the triathlon club’s fund.
He was also responsible for money donated by club members to the 2 Wish Upon a Star foundation but this money also failed to reach the charity it was intended for.
When Lott was arrested and interviewed by police he claimed that his actions had not been dishonest and he had no intention to prevent or deprive the organisations of its money. He said it had been an oversight, a mistake, or had been earmarked for further expenditure.
He later admitted three counts of theft.
Mr Evans died in May 2017 and in a victim personal statement his widow Louise Evans described how Lott’s dishonesty had affected her family.
She said that after her husband had been hospitalised in 2016 with the brain tumour her daughter had set up a fundraising page to assist with Mr Evans’ treatment.
He later met within Velindre and agreed to donate the money to them though his own charity ‘Heads up to brain tumours’, which in total raised £75,000.
Mrs Evans said: “When Justin Lott was congratulating my husband with the fundraising he was stealing money from the charity. This makes me angry and upset because Mike was vulnerable at the time.
“We found out about the money six weeks prior to Mike’s death but I made the decision not to tell him about it.”
A victim personal statement was also read out on behalf of police officer Jason James, the chairman of the triathlon club.
He set out his concerns about the reputation of the club being damaged internally and externally and of having to contend with the anger of people outside of the club about the money donated to charity which was kept.
Defence barrister Jonathan Rees apologised on behalf of Lott to those affected by his offending including his former clubmates, colleagues, and the charities affected.
He said the defendant had found himself in debt and had every intention to “make good” the money he had taken but, as his mental health and financial circumstances worsened, the “situation spiralled out of control” and he was unable to repay the money.
Mr Rees added his client, who worked as a police officer for 16 years, had been treated for clinical depression for a number of years.
He said several thousand pounds had been raised by the defendant to go towards paying back the money he had stolen.
Sentencing, Judge Jeremy Jenkins said: “This is money you had direct access to which you had been entrusted to look after and manage for the triathlon club, police sports triathlon section, and the athletics club.
“They provided monies to well-intentioned charities which provide vital care and services to those who need them.
“To steal from clubs such as these and to take money destined to charities is a despicable act and the person responsible was a serving police officer and entrusted treasurer.”
He added: “You are living well beyond your means and you resorted to stealing from others to partly fund it.
“This was systematic repeated dishonesty of the worst kind. Such conduct passes the custodial threshold and only an immediate custodial sentence can be justified – nothing else would be appropriate.”
Lott, who wore a short-sleeved white shirt and jeans, bowed his head as he was sentenced to a total of 16 months imprisonment.
Speaking after the sentencing, Superintendent Esyr Jones from South Wales Police Professional Standards Department said: “We welcome today’s sentencing, which is a reflection of the gravity of Justin Lott’s actions.
“By abusing the trust of South Wales Police colleagues Lott betrayed not only those he worked alongside but the communities of South Wales.
“Colleagues had shown tremendous generosity in memory of a fellow officer PC Mike Evans, who himself had demonstrated great courage and determination throughout his ill health.”
Mrs Evans said: “I found out about the fact that Justin hadn’t paid the donations to Velindre about six weeks prior to Mike’s death.
“We decided not to tell Mike as at this time he was gravely ill and to have told him would have devastated him because despite his illness and weakness the sense of what he had achieved had made him proud and to find out it wasn’t what he thought would have had a huge impact on his mental state.
“Justin was once a close friend and colleague of Mike and to find out the true extent of what has happened in this court case is devastating.
“This has affected Mike’s legacy and what we were working towards.
“I feel betrayed, let down and humiliated. Charities are for good things to be said and not publically humiliated, which is what Justin has done.”
The case has been listed for mention under the Proceeds of Crime Act on October 15 with a full-day hearing scheduled on October 26.
