Brighton Pride backer faces fraud charges (From The Argus)

Brighton Pride backer faces fraud charges

3:00pm Tuesday 8th June 2010 in

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One of the directors of the new company that won the contract to run the bars at this year's Pride is due in court to face fraud and theft charges.

Tom Smith, 26, of Marine Parade, Brighton, will attend Lewes Crown Court on September 27 over alleged offences which took place while he was working for the Hilton Hotel in Gatwick nearly three years ago.

He is charged with stealing from his employer on six occasions between September 2007 and April 2009, with the amounts taken ranging from nearly £3,000 to £18,000.

He is facing three other counts under the theft act as well eight counts of fraud, which relate to allegations he used stolen credit cards to pay for hire cars.

Mr Smith, who described the allegations as “unfounded”, is also accused of failing to report an unspent criminal conviction before he applied for the position of finance manager at the hotel and a money laundering offence concerning £116, 952.

Mr Smith is one of two directors of 19 Events, which reportedly paid about £70,000 for the bar concession contract for Pride last month despite only being set up a few days before the deal was signed.

He said the court case had “no bearing on 19 Events or the Pride contract” and that he will be “defending himself on the day”.

Mr Smith added: “It would not be right for me to comment any further it might prejudice my case.”

A spokeswoman for Pride said: “We understand that local businessman Tom Smith is being called to Lewes Crown Court in relation to a case dating back to 2007, when he was an employee of another company.

“It would be inappropriate for Pride to comment further on this matter which does not affect the relationship it has with 19 Events Ltd - a company where Tom Smith is currently a director. The Trustees of Pride in Brighton & Hove will act in the best interests of the charity at all times.”

The only other director of 19 Events is Derek Fowlie, co-director of The Winehouse in Shoreham.

He would not comment on whether he knew about the allegations against Mr Smith before they went into business together.

“I don't that is an appropriate question to ask,” he said. “I can see no reason why this should affect 19 Events at all. We are working to provide contracted services to Pride. I have every confidence we will provide Pride with a service.”

News of the court case has contract raised questions over Pride's tendering process.

In previous years the bars were run by Aeon Events Limited under its Wild Fruit brand but the contract was terminated in a row over Pride's financial position.

James Ledward, editor of popular gay lifestyle magazine Gscene, said: “I have been uneasy about the tendering process as a whole all along.

“Pride is an event that gets public money and I do not get how it is possible to end up with a company that will be serving the biggest event of year that seems to have got the contract without any checks being made.

“I lost my confidence in Pride at the public meeting in November when it became very clear that the organisers no longer had a mandate from the people of Brighton.”

A spokesman for Hilton confirmed that Mr Smith worked there from 2007-09 but added: “At this stage we cannot make any further comments, as this is a police matter.”