Former Birmingham Dogs Home boss and wife facing lengthy jail term over fraud

Simon Price, who was chief executive of the charity, admitted abusing his position and repeated pleas of guilty to 10 counts of fraud at Birmingham Crown Court this morning.

The conspiracy involved him arranging false payments and invoices for himself over almost five years, the biggest of which was £399,350 for the sale of a building in Digbeth.

His wife, Alayna Price, who was a commercial manager at the charity and head of fundraising, admitted five charges of fraud totalling £254,727, each involving the receipt of legacy payments.

She had previously denied the charges at Birmingham Magistrates Court earlier this month.

The pair, of Somerton Drive, Marston Green, Solihull, will be sentenced on December 22.

They were told to expect an immediate prison sentence.

Judge Avik Mukherjee, said: “You have both pleaded guilty to very serious offences.

“I can’t see an alternative end other than a significant period of custody for you both.”

Birmingham Dogs Home cares for and rehomes dogs across the region. It also runs the Sunnyside Centre dogs home in Coven, near Wolverhampton.

Three of the charges admitted by Simon Price, aged 53, involved legacy payments of £40,000, £43,264 and £56,689.

Another was a false payment of £10,000 to George Green Solicitors and another was a false invoice of £9,690 for Corden Construction for himself.

He further admitted arranging a false payment for Ancol sponsorship of £23,800, a false building regulation fee of £19,306 and two invoices worth £19,000 each. The total amount involved comes to £640,099 with the fraud carried out between February 16, 2012 and July 1, 2016.

Both Simon and Alayna Price, 39, denied one count of transferring criminal property – namely £914,538 – between Barclays and Lloyds bank accounts.

Miss Madhu Rai, prosecuting, said the crown would no longer be seeking convictions on that charge.

Mr Harpreet Sandhu, defending Alayna Price, said the two defendants were no longer in a relationship and that his client was currently pregnant.

He added the fraud only came to light because of admissions she made to a trustee at the charity and said she had already repaid £130,000.

“The genesis of the offending was based largely around the relationship between these two defendants,” he told the court.

“I will invite the sentencing judge to look at the extent to which there has been meaningful beginnings of rehabilitation and the extent to which she was vulnerable at the point the offending began.”

Both defendants were given bail with a condition of residence.

John Wheatley, chairman at Birmingham Dogs Home said: “We are aware that Simon Price and Alayna Warner have pleaded guilty at crown court today, having been charged with a number of offences relating to missing funds from Birmingham Dogs Home.

“We understand they will return for sentencing in December and we will continue to support the authorities with any further investigations or requirements in the meantime.”