Council worker steals money meant for Grenfell victims while authorities continue to ignore its lessons
Jenny McDonagh.
The contempt in which Kensington and Chelsea council holds its social housing tenants is breathtaking.
For months, we asked what was happening to the money that had been raised to help the survivors of the blaze who had lost their homes and possessions – and were told it was all well in hand.
And it was – in the hands of a dishonest council finance manager who stole more than £60,000 of it and frittered it away on her own pleasures.
Isn’t that par for the course with Tory councils like K&C? They and their employees don’t consider the money they handle belongs to the people; they think it is for their own benefit.
That’s how it seems to me.
And we have evidence that councils across London – not just K&C – are ignoring the lessons of Grenfell. For example, they are still turning their backs on the concerns raised by residents.
So, after the deaths of so many people (I don’t believe only 72 lost their lives in that horror), it’s business as usual for the bureaucrats.
Let’s hope we all remember that, next time there’s an election.
A [council] finance manager splashed out on trips around the world, gambling and fancy dinners using money meant for the Grenfell Tower fire victims.
Jenny McDonagh, from Kensington and Chelsea Council, has admitted defrauding around £60,000 from the victim fund.
She withdrew a total of £62,000 meant for survivors of the tragedy and victims’ grieving family members using pre-paid credit cards.
She spent the funds on trips to Dubai and Los Angeles, expensive dinners and online gambling.
The 39-year-old, from Abbey Wood, South East London, pleaded guilty to two offences of fraud, one of theft and another of concealing criminal property at Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday.
She was bailed for sentencing at a later date.
Visit our JustGiving page to help Vox Political’s Mike Sivier fight anti-Semitism libels in court
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Here are four ways to be sure you’re among the first to know what’s going on.
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (in the left margin). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
The Livingstone Presumption is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
From other media reports it would appear this financial worker was a temp hired in to assist with the workload. The Council should have had a more robust recruitment policy especially knowing that money was being managed…or stolen in this case. If like a case close to my own circumstances a similar theft situation took place haven been given a position of trust. At the post mortem with the agency they only asked if the applicant had any police record on their application form…..to which the applicant replied no and was put forward. Like this particular incident there appeared to be a record of similar offences none of which was disclosed because it relied upon the honesty of a dishonest applicant. Very basic process and maybe with all financial jobs police enquiries should be made rather than waiting for the inevitable to happen.