Ex-Union of Democratic Mineworkers leader Neil Greatrex guilty of theft

A former Nottinghamshire union leader has been found guilty of stealing £150,000 from a miners' charity.

Neil Greatrex, 60, ex-president of the Union of Democratic Mineworkers (UDM) was found guilty at Nottingham Crown Court of 14 counts of theft.

Mick Stevens, 60, former UDM general secretary, also charged with theft, was cleared by a jury of all 14 counts.

Greatrex was found guilty of stealing £148,628.83 from a miners' nursing home between 2000 and 2005.

During the trial, the court heard both Greatrex and Mr Stevens had been trustees of the charity, and its subsidiary company Phoenix Nursing and Residential Home Ltd, and were able to sign cheques on its behalf.

It was alleged Greatrex billed the nursing home for improvement work actually being done on his and Mr Stevens' properties, including an £11,750 kitchen.

During the trial, Mr Stevens, from Rufford Park in Newark, said he signed a cheque for £36,000 for building work and general refurbishments which he believed were for the nursing home.

He told the court he paid for improvements on his home by cash or through a separate company he and Mr Greatrex ran.

He added that he would not have authorised any payment through the charity for work to his or Mr Greatrex's properties.

Mr Greatrex, from Stanley near Teversal, in Nottinghamshire, told the court that the care home had paid for a new kitchen for his house but the money was taken in lieu of a salary.

"I believed I was entitled to a reasonable salary and expenses from the home for the work that I was doing for it," he said.

Mr Greatrex added that all other payments for improvements to his home had been paid by cash.