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'I replaced car boot cash' says Inverness councillor


By SPP Reporter



John Holden claims he replaced borrowed car boot cash
John Holden claims he replaced borrowed car boot cash

AN Inverness councillor facing fraud charges has admitted using a Clydesdale Bank card for a charity car boot sale account to make withdrawals while on holiday in Ireland.

But John Holden told Sheriff Ian Abercrombie, on the tenth day of his trial, he only used the card because sometimes his own bank card would not work abroad.

"If I used the Clydesdale Bank account the money would be paid back," he told Inverness Sheriff Court today.

Holden, who represents Inverness South, denies falsely claiming over £43,000 in council tax relief from Highland Council and income support from the Department of Work and Pensions between 1999 and 2008’

It is alleged he was not entitled to the benefits because of his income, savings and living with a partner.

The court has already heard evidence from council fraud investigator Veronica Bachelor that Holden had undeclared income of income of £250,000 over the period he was claiming benefits.

His partner Mary Holden, she said, had income of £50,000 and Miss Batchelor said she identified payments from the car boot sale for personal use by councillor Holden amounting to £37,000.

Holden said he started organising the car boot sales in 1997 . He wanted to target local needy people and worthy causes with the car boot sales which continued until 2008 when Holden became the subject of a police investigation.

Holden said he ran them originally from the Inverness College car park, then Lorimers, opposite the college, then the council car park.

He had up to 16 people helping him, charged cars for entry up to £8 and £10 for vans and was responsible for taking the money and banking it.

Asked about some of the outgoings including mobile phone bills, lunch bills and money spent on wine Holden said he marketed the sales widely and people would take flyers as far north as Thurso and east to Elgin. They would be able to have a lunch, he said.

Some of the money was spent on a party for the hosts of Chernobyl Children and Holden said the sales always supported the work of the Chernobyl Lifeline.

Asked about the cash withdrawals when he was overseas Holden said: "That would be when I was in Ireland,

"Some of the times my own card would not be recognised. If I used the Clydesdale bank account (the car boot sale account) the money would be put back in."

Holden claimed even when he received cash for his birthday from family and friends, he would put it into the car boot sale account.

The trial continues.

Read more in The Inverness Courier tomorrow.

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