A heartless teenager who pocketed £6,500 by setting up a fake GoFundMe page for four young men who car crash has been spared jail – and has been told to do rehab instead.
Kyle Saunders started the fundraising page in honor of Matthew Parke (Corey Owen), Ryan Nelson, and Jordan Rawlings who died in a car accident on August 2020.
Jordan was driving the Volkswagen Polo that they were riding in when it crashed into a home and caught fire.
Saunders was from Blackbird Court in Wellingborough (Northamptonshire), and set up the webpage pretending that it would raise funds in their name. However, he had the money himself.
Saunders admitted to having organised the money-spinner made up in honor of those who had died.
A one-year community sentence was issued to him with 150 hours of unpaid service at the Swindon Magistrates Court.
Kyle Saunders (pictured), created the page to raise funds in memory of Matthew Parke and Corey Owen. Ryan Nelson, Jordan Rawlings, Ryan Nelson, Ryan Nelson, and Ryan Nelson were all killed in a collision on the A4in July 2020.
JPs also ordered him to carry out 12 days rehabilitation activity ‘to address his offending’ and to pay £2,000 compensation to GoFundMe Ltd – the company he defrauded.
After pleading guilty at the same court to fraud last month, Saunders, Northamptonshire from Wellingborough was bailed.
Matthew Parke and Corey Owen were both 19-years-old, while Jordan Rawlings, 20-years-old, was killed in a car accident that crashed into a house on A4 in Derry Hill. The crash occurred in August 2020.
It was a shock to the community that the friend died. Many people donated money for the memorial.
Saunders (17 years old) created a GoFundMe page called “Jordan, Corey and Matt Memorial” and posted the fundraising on local Facebook pages. He stated that the money would help fund a memorial to the tragedy victims.
A total of £6,479 was donated to the fundraiser but no memorial ever emerged.
Ryan Nelson (left) was one of four young men killed in the crash that caused the car they were driving to collide with a house close Calne, Wiltshire.
It was a shock to the community that the friend died. Donations poured in for their memorial. Left and right, Matthew Parke and Jordan Rawlings
Name the teenager, who has turned 18 years old since October 2013 when he was detained by Wiltshire Police.
Saunders had previously revealed that he received death threats.
Last autumn, when he spoke out in front of his family, he stated that he had temporarily moved to Wiltshire. He stated that he was aware of four of the victims but did not know their names.
He claimed he shared a link to the memorial fund on his Snapchat, saying there had been ‘an issue’ but was unsure what because he ‘suddenly started getting loads of abuse and s**t’ and death threats.’
He stated that he had shared a link so his buddies could learn about the fund. These were very young boys who lost their lives.
‘I don’t know them. But at that time, I was in Wiltshire. It was nice, but people took it the wrong way.
‘I suddenly started getting loads of abuse and s**t and people said they wanted to kill me.
It was a mistake that I didn’t realize. It was a kind gesture that I made by sharing a link. Then everyone follows me.
On the home the car collided into, it was seen in scorched grass, and boards up windows.
Saunders from Northamptonshire, Wellingborough, pleaded guilty
He said, before pleading guilty to the offense: “I have done nothing wrong.”
The man claimed that he did not report to the police any alleged threats of death against him because they were a sensitive subject.
Saunders is a gym fanatic and studies electrical engineering at college. He lives with his parents, eight brothers, and sisters.
Jason Macdonald was his father and builder. He said that Kyle had been being terrorised by this. He is a decent lad and a pleasant lad. He is not a monster.
“He was only 17 years old at that time, and it has been frightening.” It’s my son, and people have been hurt.
The fake campaign was funded by kind-hearted people in the locality. They are now being reimbursed for their donations.
GoFundMe spokeswoman said that all donors would be reimbursed.
“Misuses of GoFundMe are completely unacceptable. We will work with authorities and police in rare instances.
The inquest revealed that the VW Polo was traveling at 120mph when it collided with the car. Jordan Rawlings had also been driving over the legal drinking limit.
Last July, the hearing at Wiltshire Coroner’s Court heard about the desperate efforts of passersby to save these young men.
All three of his passengers, including the taxi driver, described screaming and shouting coming from the fiery car. But they had to stop rescue efforts due to extreme heat and the flames.
According to police, their loved ones were kept informed about the ongoing investigation.