A FORMER soldier who stole £800 while posing as a charity collector in Newport was jailed yesterday.

Benjamin Revell, 24, stole the money after making six collections between May and July 2010 while dressed as a soldier from the Parachute Regiment.

Revell pretended to be collecting money for forces charity Help for Heroes and used bucket and banner with the charity’s logo on. But Help for Heroes never received the money.

Cardiff Crown Court heard yesterday how Revell had served with the Royal Engineers but was discharged from the Army in 2010 “under a bit of a cloud”.

He told police he was collecting for the charity legitimately and that the uniform encouraged people to donate.

When the charity confirmed it had not received any money, Revell told police he was confused and had forgotten to pay it in.

Police found £395 in an envelope at Revell’s home with Help for Heroes written on it and £100 in his collection bucket.

Lawrence Jones, defending, said Revell joined the army at 19 to better himself and served on the front line in Afghanistan. He was part of a team which was responsible for clearing the road in front of army vehicles.

Revell pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud and six counts of theft.

Mr Jones said Revell was disgusted with himself and that he had forever cut the ties he had with his former army colleagues.

He said: “He will never be able to look these people in the eye again, knowing what he has done.”

He said Revell, of Ludworth Avenue, Birmingham, may have started off with good intentions in collecting for Help for Heroes but that gave way when he felt the temptation and spent some of the money he had collected.

Recorder Nicholas Gareth Jones said: “This was a premeditated confidence trick for you, I accept, to pay off your debts.”

He added: “You’re 24 years of age and you have a chequered past.”

He sentenced Revell to eight months in prison and made a forfeiture order for the £495 which he said he hopes goes to Help for Heroes.

 

 

Pal persuaded to take driving rap

REVELL was also sentenced to four months, to run concurrently with the other sentence, for perverting the course of justice.

The court heard he had been disqualified from driving and was given a car to drive with his new job.

Revell, who was without a licence, asked work colleague Jonathan Anderson to “take the rap” for him after he was caught by a speed camera in Newport.

Revell paid Anderson £100 for this and he completed a speed awareness course.

Anderson, 30, of St James Road, Hereford, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and was given a suspended sentence and told to complete 100 hours unpaid work.