A Boston taxi firm manager who stole his company’s COVID bounce back loan has been jailed for two years and eight months (32 months).
James Lloyd, 39, successfully applied for the loan on behalf of the firm and within days of the money arriving in the company bank account he transferred it into one of his personal accounts.
Lloyd turned to online gambling at the start of lockdown to boost his family income, as at the time he was off work after contracting a lung disease and his wife’s hairdressing salon was closed because of the COVID restrictions.
He was trusted by the owners of Angels Taxis based in Boston, and was a signatory on the company bank account and was given company bank accounts.
But his gambling spiralled out of control and he stole over £140,000 to fund his habit.
Lucy Jones, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court that Lloyd was a friend of Julian and Toni Vines, who owned the company, and was trusted to manage the taxi firm.
She said “It gave him the opportunity to access the company’s funds and fund his addiction to gambling.
“From December 2018 up until the police became involved in August 2020 the defendant spent over £208,000 on gambling websites.
“On 19 May last year a £50,000 government bounce back loan was paid into the company’s account.
“Following that the defendant transferred £68,000 into his personal bank account. In effect the bounce back loan went straight into his own account.”
The thefts came to light in the summer of last year after Toni Vines loaned Lloyd £5,000 to purchase a car. The money wasn’t repaid and when Mrs Vines checked the company bank account, she discovered thousands of pounds had been transferred into Lloyd’s account.
Miss Jones said “Mr Vines called the defendant. He believed there would be an innocent explanation.
“The defendant told him he would be round in the next half hour. Instead, he went to Boston Police Station and admitted to stealing more than £100,000 from his employer.”
Mr Vines subsequently discovered bills had not been paid and a number of company cars had been repossessed.
Julian Vines, in a victim impact statement, said he and his wife have been left in dire financial circumstances as a result of Lloyd stealing from their firm.
He said “Because of what James has done I have very poor credit ratings. It has been absolute carnage trying to pay back the debt James Lloyd has left us.
“I have bailiffs knocking on the door and debt collectors calling us. I’ll be paying this back for years.
“He was a man we trusted. I never doubted him. It’s like hell on earth.”
James Lloyd, 39, of Granville Street, Boston, admitted the theft of £141,045 from his employer. He was jailed for two years and eight months.
Judge Simon Hirst, passing sentence, told him “The effect of your behaviour has been devastating. They [Mr and Mrs Vines] have really suffered financially as a result.
“This is aggravated by the fact that you used Government money designed to get this company back on its feet in the grip of the pandemic.
“This country was in the grip of an emergency. A health and economic crisis. The government provided these loans to assist companies in their fight to survive.
“In effect you took the COVID loan for yourself.
“Plainly this is so serious that only a sentence of immediate custody can be passed.”
Alex Upton, in mitigation, said Lloyd has since shown remorse and has sought help for his gambling addiction.
“This is a man who had previously never been before these courts.
“He found himself in a difficult position where he was unable to work through illness. Then came the lockdown and his wife was not able to open her salon.
“He wasn’t able to stop his gambling and it spiralled out of control.
“He has handed over a boat. It is not anywhere near the total that was taken but is the only asset of value he had.”
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We want to speak to three individuals in relation to a burglary which took place at Tattershall Farm Park at around 1.45am in the early hours of Monday, 8 August.
A fence was broken to gain access to the grounds, and a rear door to the workshop was forced open. Numerous power tools and equipment were stolen, including a red quad bike, to the value of around £25,000.
The escape was made via the same route across a field to the rear and along Marsh Lane, Tattershall using two-barrel carts from the site to transport the stolen goods down the lane.
If you know these individuals, or you have any further information that will help with our investigation please get in touch.
Please email [email protected] quoting ‘Incident 86 of 8 August’ in the subject line.
Or call 101 quoting Incident 86 of 8 August.
If you wish to remain anonymous you can report any information via CrimeStoppers by calling 0800 555 111.
Doddington Hall Farm Shop near Lincoln will feature in a new Channel 5 series which celebrates the British love of a good farm shop.
Episode one of ‘Britain’s Poshest Farm Shop’ is due to air on Channel 5 at 8pm on Friday, August 12. Doddington Hall features throughout episode 1 alongside farm shops in North Wales and Devon.
The two-part series is narrated by Patricia Hodge and described as “a warm and touching look at why we all love a farm shop, the characters that inhabit them and the people behind the scenes that work so hard to create outstanding produce.”
Owner Claire Birch in the Kitchen Garden, a stone’s throw from the Farm Shop.
Doddington Farm Shop Kitchen Garden display.
Doddington Hall said its award-winning farm shop wasn’t built on being ‘posh, but was “born out of a passion to provide our customers with good quality, seasonal, local food.”
Doddington Hall said Production company Out of the Blue TV filmed “on a momentous day when the cows were being put out to pasture for the first time after the winter so they were gambolling in the sunshine.”
Doddington Farm Shop Kitchen Garden display.
Owners Claire Birch & James Birch and stockman Hari Limbu.
Since 2006, the Elizabethan Doddington Hall has been the much-loved family home of Claire and James Birch. Claire’s family have lived in the Hall for over 190 years, devoting themselves to the upkeep, repair and progression of the Doddington Estate.
After a 50 year absence, the formerly neglected two-acre walled Kitchen Garden was restored to its former glory in 2007, inspiring the opening of the Farm Shop followed by the Cafe. Just a stone’s throw from the Hall, it provides an abundance of fruit, vegetables, salads and herbs which take centre stage in the Farm Shop and on Doddington Hall’s menus.
Owner Claire Birch in her kitchen in Doddington Hall, giving a sneaky peek into the ancient recipe archive.
Owner Claire Birch with a Kitchen Garden tromboncino squash.
Over the last 16 years, Claire and James have developed the Farm Shop, Bike Shop, Café, Coffee Shop, Restaurant, Home Store, Country Clothing Store, Holiday Cottages, Bauble Barn, Christmas Tree sales, Weddings and Events businesses; increased public access and organised popular concerts and exhibitions with all proceeds going towards the upkeep and conservation of the historic Hall and Gardens.
This year, the Doddington Hall Conservation Charity secured National Lottery Heritage Funding to develop ‘Wilder Connections’, a project to connect people with nature at Wilder Doddington.
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