A man has been sentenced to 26 months imprisonment after an investigation into a fraudulent online donation page set up in memory of four men from Calne who died in a collision. Jason MacDonald, 38, of Blackbird Court, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire was found guilty on Friday 28 October of possessing the criminal property of that fraud and possession with intent to supply class A drugs. Jordan Rawlings, 20, Corey Owen, 19, Matthew Parke, 19, and Ryan Nelson, 20, were killed when the car they were travelling in left the road near Chippenham in August 2020. Last month’s conviction concludes a long investigation into the GoFundMe page titled ‘Jordan, Corey, Matt, Ryan Memorial’ which was set up shortly after the fatal collision on the A4 Derry Hill.
Investigating Officer DC Kevin Golledge said: “We hope this result sends a strong message to others that we take such incidents seriously and we won’t hesitate to take action. This was a despicable crime that saw someone try to capitalise on the deaths of four young men.” Police Sergeant Rich Marshall said: “This is a crime that has impacted the four children’s family and the people who paid into the donation account. We hope the sentencing will show that justice has been done and I hope this brings some closure for the families of the four young men.”
