Giles McNeill jailed for fraud offences

A man has been jailed after pleading guilty to theft, fraud and forgery offences totalling more than £30,000.

Giles McNeill, 39, was sentenced to 14 months in prison after he appeared at Lincoln Crown Court on Thursday 25 November.

He had previously admitted charges of theft by an employee, fraud by abuse of position and forgery between 2014 and 2020 at a previous hearing held at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court.

These included theft of £10,948 belonging to the Conservative Party and fraudulently cashing cheques totalling £20,252.54.

McNeill, of The Chestnuts, Nettleham, also admitted forging signatures on 93 cheques and six charges of fraud by abuse of power as treasurer of West Lindsey District Council Conservatives, Gainsborough Conservative Club and Lincolnshire Area Conservative Party.

Detective sergeant Mike Head said: “This was a complex investigation due to how McNeill handled the associations’ finances which allowed his offending to go on for so long before it was identified by those working alongside McNeill."