TWO trusted and experienced campaigners for union members working for Notts Police have been jailed for helping themselves to funds.
Rahmatullah Khan stole �20,431 over three years while secretary of the Notts Police branch of Unison, Nottingham Crown Court heard.
As he was funding a "shopping habit", colleague and branch treasurer Derek Gazzard was also helping himself to union funds totalling �9,642.
Khan, 34, of Erskine Road, Sherwood, used the cash to pay back a friend who had bought goods for him on his credit card.
Both he and Gazzard, 61, of Oakfield Avenue, Kirkby-in- Ashfield, had each earlier admitted five counts of theft.
The men began stealing from Unison in October 2005 and the thefts continued until September 2008.
Gazzard used the union money to service his S-Type Jaguar, buy a sat-nav and to get his daughter's car serviced.
Martin Hurst, prosecuting, said the branch took around �2,500 a month in membership fees. "Both defendants were the two signatories on branch cheques," he said.
Judge Jeremy Lea told Khan he would serve nine months in prison and Gazzard five months on each charge concurrently.
"Helping yourselves to union funds in that way was a despicable thing to do and it amounted to a significant betrayal of trust."
The judge also imposed financial penalties on Khan, including a compensation order for the amount lost from union funds.
A Proceeds of Crime hearing has been adjourned against Gazzard.
The pair both resigned their union roles in December 2008.
Their departures led to Unison's East Midlands regional office taking over the branch and concerns were raised over branch finances.
Gazzard joined Notts Police in 1995 and Khan two years later.
After a period as a regular police officer, Gazzard met Khan while the pair worked as traffic wardens in Nottingham until the city council took over responsibility for parking law enforcement in 2006.
By then, Gazzard had been the force's Unison branch treasurer for six years, with Khan having been branch secretary for the same period.
Andrew Wesley, mitigating for Khan, said: "He would say, until the investigation commenced, he was not aware Mr Gazzard was acting in a broadly similar way."
The court was told Gazzard was now working as a driver.
Detective Inspector Kev Fidler said: "We carried out an in-depth investigation into theft allegations against Gazzard and Khan, who were both trusted members of Unison.
"It soon became evident that their greed had become more important than working to support their members.
"It is extremely disappointing that people in positions of trust choose to abuse their roles in such a way."
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