Couple Steal Charity Money for Terminally Ill Kids
In the News
A couple, Ruksana Khan and James Donovan, who stole more than £300,000 that had been donated to help children with terminal illnesses have been jailed. They set up the charity, Kidz Come First, in Clacton in Essex in 2011. Over four years, they stole £315,000 and used it to pay household bills and for gambling online. Ruksana got 5 years and 11 months and Donovan 3 years. This means with good behaviour Ruksana could be out in 19 months and Donovan in 1 year. Is this really a fit deterrent? What do you think? www.itv.com/news/anglia/2024-06-21/couple-stole-315000-in-donations-for-terminally-ill-children
Can't say I'm surprised I knew a lad who said he had a child who had cancer to get people to donate
Leannexxx For years I no longer fall for people claiming they are collecting money for terminal illnesses (especially for) children. It's the same type who doesn't answer to anyone when they get the money. I have already covered this subject regarding a super model giving the charity she claims to represent only £5,000 out of more than £1.5 million pounds (I think) raised.
I'd have them doing working in the fields with a ball and chain on for about 10 years each to pay back the £315k between them. That allows them about £16k per year of payment for their work. Alternatively take the £160k from their state pension so their pension is delayed perhaps 12 years each or half its normal value. I really can't see the point of jailing them if they are not a risk to others. Of course they should be banned from ever holding a position of trust again so basic jobs only. Call me crazy but I view violent crimes far worse than financial crimes and if we have limited resources there are better ways of dealing with thieves and similar low grade scum even if that means using them as slave labour etc for a period of time. I think the number one deterrent for these sort of crimes is they always have to pay back the money somehow.
BonzoBanana I agree with you I think violent crimes they should go to prison and throw away the key and life should mean life in all cases. For theft, fraud etc yes hard labour and definitely monies taken from future pension. They should definitely work the money back as the tax payers going to be paying for them in prison anyway (I don’t want to pay for their sky tv 
) so the tax payer would have to give them accommodation but if they had to work plenty of farms need fruit pickers and to do other farm work - just an example obviously. They would at least be doing something useful.
BonzoBanana Repaying back the money is never going to happen. They will both claim to be broke and probably change their names when released from prison, move away and continue to swindle unsuspecting people with a new charity. Those types never reform.
Absolutely sickening to read about this, some people have no shame, I'm sure the guys in prison will give them a warm welcome 
martinlufc5637 not only no shame, but no heart, no conscience, no morals, no ethics and no guilt complex. It never ceases to amaze me, the complexities of the human brain, so many abnormal people in the world.
Lynibis a local charity shop in town had to close down because of shoplifting, some people are a waste of life 
martinlufc5637 that's a point, if they weren't around wasting the air, would climate change slow down? 
They should be made to pay every single back. It might be hard to pay it back to the people who donated it but they could pay it to an actual charity that helps sick kids. Absolutely disgusting.
It’s disgusting what some people will do for money. I think the sentence is about fair if they have to pay the money back in some way, if not i know some people who would do 19 months in jail for 300k.
If they aren’t having to pay the money back it doesn’t seem right since tax payers will have to foot their jail stint
This makes me sick, how can they get away with this, must be made to pay back the money from their fraud.
Not shocked by what people do but its sick. People don't shock me at all these days.
It's so easy now for people to scam money out of others
I think gofund me has a lot to answer for
I have read so many stories about people setting this up for ficticious reasons or because they want money for a none urgent reason
I am afraid people are also so gullible nowadays and give without thinking
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