A fraudster who organized the Black Lives Matter protests that toppled Colston’s statue stole £70,000 – but was ordered to repay just £1.
Xahra Saleem, 23, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison after admitting spending more than £44,000 on “lifestyle” expenses, including £5,800 on Ubers, as well as beauty treatments, clothing, takeaway deliveries and cell phones.
But as Saleem spent all the stolen money, the police had to obtain the order for a nominal sum of £1, which then allows this amount to increase if or whenever they have money to the future.
The funds were intended for Changing Your Mindset, a youth group based in Bristol St Pauls, but were never received.
Bristol Crown Court previously heard that Saleem received an initial payment of £30,653. This came after a total of 588 individual donations were made from around the world to the GoFundMe page, totaling £32,344.
But at a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing, a court heard on Friday April 5 that Saleem was now penniless – and although she enjoyed an estimated £70,000 profit – she would only have to repay £1.
Xahra Saleem was sentenced to two and a half years in prison after admitting spending more than £44,000 on donations for ‘lifestyle’ expenses
Saleem, pictured outside Bristol Magistrates Court in January, spent a total of £44,815 on what was described as “lifestyle” expenses – including £5,800 on Ubers as well as beauty treatments and deliveries take away.
Speaking after the hearing, DC Anthony Davis, handling the case, said: “Xahra Saleem admitted defrauding a charity of a significant sum of money and was sentenced to prison for this last year.
“She made a conscious decision to take the money for herself, when it should have gone to young people in east Bristol.”
“Irreproachable individuals who supported the association have had to pick up the pieces following this serious fraud.
“They were put in an incredibly difficult position trying to answer questions about Saleem’s offenses when they had done nothing wrong and were devastated by what happened.”
“In total, it was calculated that Saleem benefited to the value of approximately £70,000. No one should profit from crime and that is why we have taken proactive action under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
“Saleem was today (Friday April 5) asked by Bristol Crown Court to pay a nominal amount after due consideration of her available assets.
“Should she obtain any assets in the future, we would have the option to seek a reconfiscation order from the courts via section 22 of the Proceeds of Crime Act. »
Avon and Somerset Police investigated a GoFundMe page called ‘BristBLM’ initially set up for the June 7, 2020 protest after donation money went missing.
During the case, Alistair Haggerty told the court it was unclear whether she intended to spend the money raised or whether she had “succumbed to temptation”.
He added: “They weren’t big purchases. There was some money spent on groceries and bills, a new iPhone and a new iMac, but it was mainly on hair, beauty, clothes, Amazon shopping, taxis and meals at home. take away.
Saleem, of Romford, Essex, initially pleaded not guilty to two fraud charges. The second accusation related to a separate online fundraising page created in the days following the toppling of the Edward Colston statue in June 2020, titled “Bristol protesters’ legal costs”.
This measure was stopped by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Saleem organized the protest in which BLM protesters toppled the Edward Colston statue into the water
Saleem, 23 (pictured), was told she had abused her position as director of the charity Changing Your Mindset.
But during sentencing, Judge Michael Longman told her she had “abused her position” as director of Changing Your Mindset.
He told her: “As the organizer of the Black Lives Matter march in Bristol, you gave yourself high public profile and used it to raise money to help young people in St Pauls – a cause extremely valuable.”
“That money you then used for your benefit and not theirs – to fund a lifestyle you couldn’t normally afford.”
He said donations had far exceeded expectations and the accused had “taken advantage” of the situation.
He added: “I consider that the funds raised have clearly exceeded all expectations to a substantial extent and attempts have been made to open a business account.
“I accept that you did not initially intend to defraud but took advantage of it.”
Judge Longman said the fraud took place over a “prolonged period of time” and resulted in a large number of victims.
“There was a breach of trust,” he added.
But he said he reduced the length of the sentence he would have imposed due to mitigating measures, including his age and immaturity at the time.
He added: “There is remorse. I am convinced that you are remorseful looking back on this period.
In a statement released after the hearing, Jay Daley and Deneisha Royal of the youth group Changing Your Mindset said they continued to feel disappointed.
In her sentencing, Saleem was described by Alistair Haggerty, prosecuting, as a “prominent figure” in the town. Pictured: The statue of Edward Colston thrown into the water at Bristol Harbor
Pictured: The statue, daubed in red paint by protesters, at the M Shed museum in Bristol
They said: “It does not appear that justice has been fully served as we are unlikely to recover any money from her. It’s like we’re being punished.
It saddens me that a member of our community could do this to us because they knew and understood the goal we had to positively change our community.
“For me, the group was a safe place. A refuge where I could relax without worrying about my safety.
“For some members, it was an opportunity to cook a meal, collect donations and receive mental health support, as well as discover new things such as job opportunities.
“If we were to get the money back, we would go on a trip and the group members would reestablish the group, make changes to the community and use the time on the trip to plan that.”
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