A charity fundraiser who collected thousands of pounds for the son of the murdered soldier Lee Rigby spent the profits on producing a music single he knew would be a “flop”, a court heard.



Jurors at Leicester crown court were told Gary Gardner raised at least £24,000 from various events, but only £4,000 made its way to any charity because of his “enthusiasm for promoting emerging music artists”.

It is alleged he used some of the funds to make a charity track called Miss You Machine, which members of the Military Wives Choirs warned would fail to make money.

As well as the production of the single, jurors heard Gardner also used the profits for travel expenses in London, as he allegedly transferred funds from the charity’s bank account to his own personal account.

The 56-year-old lorry driver staged three truck-pull events in 2013, 2014 and 2015 in the Leicestershire village of Medbourne and in Market Harborough. The fundraising events were attended by thousands of people, including Rigby’s widow, Rebecca, and son Jack.

In May 2013, Rigby was murdered near his barracks in south-east London, and the court heard that shortly after his death, Gardner said he wanted to raise money for Jack and local Medbourne village causes.

Despite Gardner allegedly using funds for his own expenses, Rebecca Rigby said she had to pay for her own travel and accommodation to attend a truck-pull event he organised, and never received any money for Jack.

Giving evidence on Monday, she said: “There were talks of climbing Kilimanjaro, there were a number of things he wanted to do to raise funds for Jack.

“He spoke about large money – thousands – and it was as if it would set Jack up for life.”

Rigby was asked: “Have you ever received any money from this defendant?” to which she replied: “Jack and myself have never received a penny from him.”

The prosecution alleged that no money had made its way to Jack, despite the defendant sending emails to Rigby saying he wanted to raise “even more money for Jack’s trust fund”.

Opening the case against Gardner, the prosecutor, Sam Skinner, said: “In this case the defendant, Gary Gardner, using the names of Private Lee Rigby and his son Jack Rigby, raised thousands of pounds in charitable donations.

“But the defendant has never handed any of the money raised on behalf of Jack Rigby for his trust fund over to Jack Rigby. The defendant kept no accurate records of exactly how much money he raised on Jack Rigby’s behalf.”

He added: “In any event, the defendant used some of the money for a purpose that the original donors never intended and would not have approved if they had known. It appears that the defendant has spent all the money he received.”

Speaking of how Gardner had allegedly used the money, Skinner said: “He spent questionable amounts of donors’ money on travel and expenses for himself in London.

“He has not given Jack Rigby or his trust fund any money. But the defendant declared publicly in late 2013 that he donated £3,000 to Jack Rigby. This public declaration was not true.”

Gardner, of Medbourne in Leicestershire, denies three counts of fraud. The trial continues.