THE mother of a Cwmbran soldier killed in Afghanistan said she was astounded to hear about the conman who posed as a Help for Heroes collector and pocketed the money himself.

Sarah Adams’ son, Private James Prosser, died in September 2009 when an explosion hit the Warrior vehicle he was driving while serving in Afghanistan with 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh.

She said: “I just find it absolutely astounding that someone can pose as someone from the armed forces and do this.

“The bigger issue now is how he is going to be dealt with. Perhaps his sentence should be to send him out to Afghanistan and see how brave he is then.”

Ms Adams, from Cwmbran, said this type of act makes the job harder for all charities and they will lose out.

She said: “It is so current that people do want to help.

These boys are risking everything and he’s taking that help away from them.”

As reported in the Argus on Saturday, Benjamin Revell, 24, pleaded guilty at Newport Crown Court to six counts of fraud and six counts of theft.

He had falsely claimed to be a member of the armed forces collecting money for the charity and also stole the contents of collection buckets belonging to Help for Heroes. The offences were committed between May 7 and July 23 last year.

Atotal of £101.71 was stolen from a bucket on July 23, 2011.

No amounts were given for the other theft charges.

Revell carried out the collections in Newport, Ystrad Mynach and Merthyr Tydfil.

The defendant denied a charge of fraud and a charge of theft relating to a similar offence on April 30. These charges will lie on file.

Revell, of Ludworth Avenue, Birmingham, also pleaded guilty to a charge of perverting the course of justice betweenMay 14 and July 16 last year, after he persuaded Jonathan Anderson, 30, of St James Road, Hereford, to accept responsibility for a traffic offence he committed, in return for money.

Anderson also pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice when he appeared alongside Revell in court.

The pair were released on bail and are due to be sentenced on July 2.

EDITORIAL COMMENT: Beneath contempt

IT IS difficult to find words to adequately describe the actions of fraudster Benjamin Revell.

‘Shameless’ might be adequate. ‘Scum’ would seem appropriate to many of our readers.

Revell admitted carrying out bogus collections in Newport for the Help for Heroes charity.

Today, the mother of one of our fallen heroes in Afghanistan joins the chorus of disapproval for Revell’s despicable behaviour.

Sarah Adams, whose son James Prosser was killed in Helmand, says Revell should be sent to Afghanistan to learn what life is like for our troops on the front line.

What a good idea.

Revell has yet to be sentenced, but it is clear he is in need of a few life lessons.

The amount of money was relatively small, but that is immaterial. It is how he gained the money that is important.

He conned people into believing they were giving money to an organisation that helps those injured in the service of their country.

Revell is 24. There are people of his age – and younger – who have died or been maimed for their country in Afghanistan.

He is not worthy of being mentioned in the same sentence as any of them.

We hope the courts make an example of him.

It is just a shame the justice system does not have the power to carry out Sarah Adams’ wishes.