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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English mod-rocker Paul Weller has been forced to cancel his remaining tour dates, including a night at Lincoln Engine Shed, after a band member tested positive for Covid-19.
Weller, who found fame as the lead singer of The Jam and later The Style Council before embarking on a solo career, was due to perform at Lincoln Engine Shed on Saturday, December 4, but has had to pull out of the show.
An announcement on Friday confirmed a member of his band tested positive for COVID-19, meaning the three remaining shows on his UK tour, in Norwich on Friday, Lincoln on Saturday and Cambridge on Sunday, have been cancelled.
The 63-year-old singer-songwriter from Surrey was gearing up to play some of his huge catalogue of hits, including Town Called Malice (The Jam), Shout To The Top (The Style Council) and You Do Something To Me (solo).
A statement from Paul Weller HQ reads: “We are very sorry to announce that due to a band member testing positive for COVID-19, the remaining tour dates will not be able to take place on their scheduled dates.
“We are working hard to see if we can reschedule the shows and will share more information on that as soon as we possibly can.
“This is obviously incredibly disappointing news for not just the fans but Paul and the whole team involved, but we need to follow the guidelines to keep everyone as safe as possible.”
Music lovers won’t have to wait too long for another big show at the Engine Shed, however, as The Charlatans will be playing their 30th anniversary tour in Lincoln on Monday, December 6.
Lincoln City’s long term squad building model has again been boosted, this time by another academy graduate signing his first pro contract with the club.
Oisin Gallagher has signed a three-year deal at the Imps on his 17th birthday on Thursday, having impressed in the academy setup and training regularly with the first team squad.
The talented midfielder has been making a real name for himself at the youth level of the international stage, having featured for Republic of Ireland under-19s in their recent European qualifiers.
He will be hoping to replicate fellow academy graduates Sam Long and Freddie Draper, who have been involved in first team action this season.
Oisin Gallagher signed the contract on his 17th birthday. | Photo: Lincoln City FC
Gallagher, who has six goal contributions for the Imps’ youth team this season, said: “All I wanted to be when I was younger was to be a professional footballer and I’m glad to have this opportunity.
“I’ve been able to train with the first team from nearly day one and I’ve loved every minute of it – they’ve been so welcoming.
“I want to enjoy it more than anything, because when you enjoy it that’s when the best performances come out of you. Hopefully I can keep getting the chance to enjoy the experiences of being with the first team and then from there keep working hard and we’ll see what happens.”
Oisin will be hoping to further his development as a member of the Imps’ first team. | Photo: Lincoln City FC
Lincoln City director of football Jez George was full of praise for the youngster, saying he had an “elite mindset” that would help him reach his sky high potential.
He said: “Oisin is a player with huge potential, who we were delighted to sign from Derry City in the summer and this is another step on what we hope will be a long and successful career for him, initially with Lincoln City.
“A common trait in all young players who reach their potential is an elite mindset, and Oisin certainly has that to go with undoubted technical ability and physical attributes.
“We are all excited about his future but now we have secured Oisin’s to be at club for the next three years, he can concentrate on all the work required to make the next steps in his development.”
Gallagher is hoping to follow in Sam Long and Freddie Draper’s footsteps. | Photo: Lincoln City FC
There was also a quick note for Oisin’s parents, who Jez George says should be very proud of their son for his progression as a footballer.
“Finally, a word about Oisin’s mum and dad, who are our guests at the game on Saturday and have been fantastic in their support and help since we first saw Oisin last October and first met them last Christmas. They should be rightly proud of Oisin but also recognise their part in his achievements to date and hopefully many more in the future.”
Gallagher could be in line to make his first team debut this Saturday in the FA Cup second round match with Hartlepool United at the LNER Stadium.
COVID-19 booster vaccinations are to be extended to people aged 18-39, and Lincolnshire’s NHS sector is gearing up to roll out to the next cohort.
NHS Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group has announced it will be preparing to offer booster jabs to people between the ages of 18 and 39, but has asked for patience due to the large volume of requests it will get.
As well as the extended cohort for the booster vaccinations, the government has also announced a reduction from six months to three for the interval between second doses and boosters, eligibility for a second dose for 12 to 15-year-olds, and a fourth dose for immunosuppressed people if recommended by their clinical team.
Martin Fahy, director of nursing and quality at NHS Lincolnshire CCG, said: “That’s quite a lot to take in and represents a huge undertaking, both for the NHS nationally and for us here in Lincolnshire.
“However, we’re up for the challenge and confident that, working with our partners, we will be able to respond positively.
“Of course, there’s a massive amount of work operationally in order to make this happen, but we’re on the case and working at extreme pace through the detail, the same way our colleagues across the country will be, to put in place the next – and arguably most complex – phase of the COVID-19 vaccination programme to-date.”
It comes as Professor Derek Ward, Lincolnshire County Council’s Director for Public Health, confirmed earlier this week that hospital admissions for COVID patients are five times higher for the unvaccinated than they are for those who are jabbed.
The rollout will, much like previous rounds of the programme, work in priority order, offering jabs to the most vulnerable in our society first.
Mr Fahy also added that the recent threat posed by the new Omicron variant makes the latest vaccine rollout extension “particularly important”.
He said: “There tends to be a lag between each announcement of a new phase of vaccinating and the opening up of vaccination slots, and we’re currently in that place now, waiting for the legal framework that will enable us to make a start on vaccinating the next cohort of people, however, planning and preparation have begun in earnest.
“Having said that, the Lincolnshire public’s support for us and the programme has been magnificent so far and we’ve no reason to think this will change going forwards. We have now given more than 246,000 boosters to people aged 40 and over.
“Our message to everyone is really clear and the same as before – we will contact you when it is your turn to be vaccinated, when this happens please come forwards as quickly as possible and book your vaccination.”
Here in Lincolnshire, people are being asked to either wait to be contacted, or to book their booster vaccines online using the national booking system.
There is a note on the system confirming that the NHS can currently only offer booster jabs for those over 40 who had their second dose at least six months ago, but this should update in the coming days to allow for over-18s to book within three months of their second jab.
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