A man who pretended to raise money for a made-up charity was slammed by one of Dundee’s leading fundraisers as “disgusting”.
Jamie McMurchie, 20, of Lawton Terrace, collected donations from a Dundee church and obtained around £120 cash through the fraudulent scheme.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard that McMurchie told his victims he was raising money for Tayside Cancer Research, a charity he had made up.
Fiscal depute Isma Mukhtar said McMurchie went to the Steeple Church, Nethergate, on May 1 2013 and told staff he was fundraising.
The fiscal added: “A member of staff within the church completed a sponsorship form on which the name of the charity was given as Tayside Cancer Research.
“Another member of staff at the church was approached by the accused three days later and he again said he was raising money for the same charity.
“He said he was doing so because his mother had a lot to do with the charity previously.
“On May 18 he again attended the locus, looking to collect sponsorship money from those who had previously provided pledges.
“As a consequence other people present there provided further money to the accused.”
Later that day, McMurchie was seen approaching people at Wellgate Shopping Centre and asking for sponsorship, which aroused suspicion.
Police were contacted and when officers approached, McMurchie again stated he was fundraising for Tayside Cancer Research.
Charlie Kean, the founder of Kean’s Children’s Fund, said: “I think this is an atrocious thing to happen in the city. There are so many people who need help — it is disgusting to think about.”
McMurchie admitted that between May 1 and 18, both 2013, at the Steeple Church, Nethergate, and Wellgate Shopping Centre, he pretended to raise money for Tayside Cancer Research and obtained money by fraud.
He was placed under one year’s supervision with an added requirement to attend Mentoring For Men for three months.
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