Councillor jailed for stealing charity cash

Reed was sentenced to three years

The former deputy leader of Rotherham Council has been sentenced to three years in prison for plotting to steal £172,000 from a charity.

Garvin Reed, a Labour councillor, admitted spending thousands of pounds of a charity's cash on prostitutes, lavish hotels, meals, and outings.

Reed was jailed at Sheffield Crown Court on Monday after admitting his part in the fraud.

Council worker and co-accused, Robert Bone, was sentenced to two years in prison.

Former council worker John Cook was given 200 hours community service.

Poverty Forum

The court heard Reed was part of a conspiracy to defraud the National Local Government Forum Against Poverty of more than £172,000.

The 54-year-old passed himself off as a millionaire businessman, by living the high life between March 1996 and November 1998.

Reed, of Coronation Road, Rawmarsh, appeared for sentencing with Cook, 54, and Bone, 47, both officials of the Forum.

At a previous hearing, both Reed, and Bone, of New Croft, Wakefield, admitted conspiracy to steal.

Cook, of East Vale Drive, Thrybergh, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud.