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| Prison term for funds fraud boss | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A businessman who was at the centre of a fraud involving a cancer fundraising company has been jailed for 18 months. | |
| Tony Freeman, 40, from Glasgow, had admitted fraudulently taking £450,000 from his fundraising company just days before it went bust three years ago. | |
| Eighty-four staff at Solutions Recruitment and Management Consultancy, based in Paisley, lost their jobs. | Eighty-four staff at Solutions Recruitment and Management Consultancy, based in Paisley, lost their jobs. |
| The company was the commercial fundraiser for Breast Cancer Research (Scotland). | The company was the commercial fundraiser for Breast Cancer Research (Scotland). |
| Last week, the High Court in Edinburgh heard that Freeman, of Newlands Road, in Glasgow, had paid back £210,000 from the proceeds of his crime. | |
| On his appearance for sentencing in Glasgow, Freeman's defence counsel, Peter Gray QC, asked judge Lord Kinclaven to consider a non-custodial sentence. | |
| think all breast cancer charities in Scotland have been affected by this man's actions Jan StirratScottish Breast Cancer Campaign | |
| However, the judge said that, having given "anxious consideration" to Mr Gray's plea, he considered a jail term appropriate. | |
| The sentence was backdated to 26 September when Freeman's bail was revoked. | |
| Freeman waved to his girlfriend as he was led to the cells. | |
| However, two women wearing Scottish Breast Cancer Campaign rugby shirts waved their charity's banners at him. | |
| 'Raked in' | |
| Jan Stirrat and Alice Montgomery, of the Scottish Breast Cancer Campaign - which Freeman was not involved with - said Freeman's actions had damaged giving to breast cancer charities. | |
| Mrs Stirrat said: "I think all breast cancer charities in Scotland have been affected by this man's actions. | |
| "People have been saying we are not giving to you. He raked in millions from breast cancer charities by charging huge commissions, and goodness knows how many millions he has cost us by his activities." | |
| Mr Gray said that Freeman was offering to repay a further £237,600 by borrowing from a family friend and his partner. | |
| He said further cash would be paid once the Crown revoked restraining orders on his assets. |