Neil Greatrex
Neil Greatrex must pay the money to Nottinghamshire Miners Home within 28 days or face three more years in prison
A court has ordered a former president of the Union of Democratic Mineworkers to pay back nearly £150,000 he stole from a charity of which he was a trustee.
Neil Greatrex was found guilty at Nottingham Crown Court in April of 14 counts of theft from Nottinghamshire Miners Home, a charity in Chapel St Leonards, Lincolnshire, which supports sick and elderly miners. He stole £148,628 and was later sentenced to four years imprisonment.
Under an order made at Birmingham Crown Court last week, Greatrex, 61, has 28 days to pay £201,327, adjusted for inflation, or face three more years in prison. The money will be compensation for the charity.
The judge also awarded prosecution costs of £9,098.
Michelle Russell, head of investigations and enforcement at the Charity Commission, said: "The theft of charitable funds is absolutely unacceptable and damages public trust and confidence in charities. We welcome this outcome, which highlights that this kind of crime does not go unpunished, and secures the return of the money taken for charitable purposes.
"The Charity Commission has worked closely with South Yorkshire Police on this case and opened our own statutory inquiry into the charity in August 2007. When criminal proceedings concluded, we resumed our investigation and will publish a report once it is completed."
