A Labour candidate has been suspended after being convicted of fraud is has been reported.
The Labour candidate for Wellingborough and Rushden, Richard Garvie, has been found guilty of purchasing around £900 worth of train tickets using a bank account he was aware had insufficient / no funds in it.
Initially, he strongly denied the offence and told BBC News that he “did not set out to defraud East Midlands Trains”.
It is believed despite his suspension his name will remain on ballot papers as it is too late to have it removed.
Mr Garvie was convicted at Wellingborough Magistrates’ Court last Thursday and will be subject to sentencing at a later date.
Garvie claimed he ran up the debt in 2012 because he had been “desperate to see the people he cared about” in the county of Berkshire.
“I didn’t know I’d get into trouble. I intentionally went overdrawn on my account, that account was then sent to a debt collection agency and the debt was paid off,” he stated.
It is not known which Debt Collection Agency dealt with the matter on behalf of East Midland Trains.
“What happened since is East Midlands Trains have brought the prosecution.
“I didn’t confide in anybody. I genuinely believed I hadn’t done anything wrong.”
“It was an act of stupidity three years ago”
Garvie has announced his intention to appeal the conviction and is said to be ‘devastated’ at the outcome of the case.
He said “It was an act of stupidity three years ago. I’ve apologised and hope it doesn’t have any impact on the party”
“If people still want to vote Labour, then vote for me on the ballot paper.
“If Labour were to win the election, I think there would be a question mark for me as to whether it would be right for me to continue as an MP.”
The Labour Party has not yet made any official statement in relation to the matter or offered any guidance as to what voters should do on Thursday.
The Daily Mail newspaper revealed on Friday that Richard Garvie was warned over inappropriate conduct relating to snap chat messages sent to a female sixth form pupil who attends Wellingborough co-ed school.
