Jury retires to consider verdict in trial of two former UDM bosses

Former UDM president Neil Greatrex, 61, and general secretary Mick Stevens, 60, are accused of 14 counts of theft between June 2000 and May 2006. It is alleged they used the money to make improvements to their own homes.

Greatrex, of Shepherds Lane, Sutton-in-Ashfield and Stevens, of Maylodge Drive, Rufford Park, Newark were trustees of the Nottinghamshire Miners Home Charity, which ran a care home in Chapel St Leonards.

The pair were also directors of Pheonix Nursing and Residential Home Ltd, a company set up as a trading subsidiary of the charity.

In his summing up at Nottingham Crown Court this morning (Monday) His Honour Judge Wait told the jury that it was the job of the prosecution to prove the defendants acted dishonestly.

He reminded them that four separate companies called by the prosecution to give evidence had told the court they had been directed to invoice for work done at the care home, when in fact the work had been carried out on the defendants homes.

“The prosecution say this is too much of a coincidence,” he said.

“They say these invoices were false and the wording on them was provided by Greatrex. They were prepared to put on them what was required to get paid.”

But he also pointed out the evidence the court had heard about the previous good character of both men.

“These are two men who are able to say to you they have lived their lives by working hard and have come to have a reputation of being decent, caring, reliable and trustworthy men,” he continued.

“People who you can have a high regard for can tell lies. But it is something they have asked you to take into account.”

The jury of eight men and four women retired just after 1pm.