A FORMER driver's mate for the Swindon Restore charity has been found guilty of cheating the organisation out of hundreds of pounds at a trial held in his absence.

David Satchwell, a former volunteer at the Swindon Foodbank, had been employed by the charity in the early part of last year and had access to a company card for minor expenses.

The trial, held earlier this month, found 45-year-old Satchwell guilty of one count of fraud after abusing his position of trust as an employee.

The court found the worker had used the card for personal purchases to the tune of £265.11 in the space of around a month. Satchwell, who has had four different addresses since the start of the proceedings, didn’t attend the trial as documents had been sent to the wrong address, but accepted the ruling after previously denying the charges.

Now living in Teddington, he could face prison after Swindon Magistrates' Court asked for an all-options pre-sentence report into his circumstances.

David Gosling, defending Satchwell, said: “The reason he did not attend the trial is a break down in communication. He has moved address four times during these proceedings and it is accepted by my firm that we had thought a message had got to him but it hadn’t reached him.

“This is a low-level fraud in the region of £260 with use of a company card which should be used only for minor company purchases, but which he used for private matters.

“He does not wish to go behind the findings of the court. He does have a job starting on Monday and would welcome the opportunity to be able to show the court he can pay the money back.

“He has turned his life around. He now has a fiancée and a fixed address. There is now a firm partnership and a job with good career prospects, which would help his case.

“He knows he is at risk of custody and there are previous convictions which indicate similar matters. He is due to begin working as a supervisor for local authority home improvements. It is a full-time job and will be some sort of liaison for the tenant in building work for local authority properties.”

Satchwell was released on conditional bail provided he lives and sleeps at his home address and co-operate with the probation service. He will return to court on July 20 for sentencing after an all-options report is prepared.