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TOP TORY TOOK £94,000
Former councillor jailed for one year after stealing from his voters
A FORMER Tory councillor who stole tens of thousands of pounds from residents in Marylebone to fund his “compulsive shopping” habit has been jailed.
Michael Vearncombe, ex-councillor for Marylebone High Street, was sentenced to one year at Southwark Crown Court on Friday for theft.
The 50-year-old (pictured) pleaded guilty to stealing £94,000 from the Bryanston Court Residents’ Association, for which he was managing agent.
Judge Geoffrey Rivlin gave him the minimum sentence because of his guilty plea.
After the hearing, association member Cheryl Bloom said: “There are many elderly people living in Bryanston Court, some still working, who have been left to pick up the pieces.”
Vearncombe, who served for 20 years as an officer in the Royal Air Force, signed off scores of cheques for cash in HSBC outlets in Marylebone, Baker Street and Pall Mall over a period of 18 months.
His solicitor said his “compulsive shopping” had led him to steal the money.
The residents’ association is in talks with the Official Receiver about whether the money can be recovered and the level of his assets.
Ms Bloom said: “He had given us figures – but we would soon discover they were complete fiction.
“Under the rules of the association, he was legally allowed to write out cheques for cash for less than £700.
“These were for the day-to-day maintenance costs. The bank statements show that during November 2006 he was cashing out three or four times a day – for just under £700.”
Elected councillor for Marylebone High Street ward in 2002 and in 2006, Vearncombe served as deputy cabinet member for environment, on the licensing committee and scrutiny panels.
Ms Bloom added: “When he took over as managing agent we were all very happy. He seemed like a nice guy and very sociable.
“He had a very strong CV. You naturally trust someone who is in a position like that don’t you?”
Vearncombe resigned from his prominent Westminster ward in March after his accounts were frozen following a High Court injunction.
His departure sparked a by-election contested by the former Blur drummer Dave Rowntree. Tory councillor Ian Rowley won the seat by more than 800 votes. |
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