Domineering charity boss ‘secured contracts for son to buy house’

By The Press Association22nd September 2015News EnglandCharities, News England, South West

The “domineering” founder of an international aid charity fronted by the Duchess of Cornwall secured lucrative contracts for his son so he could buy a new house, a court has been told.

Thomas Henderson (pictured) allegedly carried out the fraud while he was chief executive at disaster relief charity ShelterBox, which he set up 15 years ago.

The 63-year-old awarded supply contracts to his son John Henderson with the help of his colleague Darren Gervis, the Old Bailey was told.

Prosecutor Walton Hornsby said: “The allegation is that Thomas Henderson authorised large supply contracts for his son John.

“When these were questioned by the management and ultimately by the trustees of ShelterBox, John Henderson recruited Darren Gervis to create sham or front companies to mask John Henderson’s involvement.”

ShelterBox was founded in 2000 and has responded to hundreds of disasters and humanitarian crises around the world, including the Haiti earthquake, the jury heard.

Thomas Henderson, of Helston, Cornwall, John Henderson, 34, from Hayle, Cornwall, and Gervis, 42, of Beaminster, Dorset, are jointly charged with conspiracy to commit fraud between January 15 2007 and December 31 2012.

Thomas Henderson set up the charity from his garage and continued to run the organisation until 2012, the court was told.

He was awarded an OBE after saving “hundreds, if not thousands of lives”, Mr Hornsby said.

The former CEO was domineering, arrogant and thought he was “untouchable” because of ShelterBox’s success, the court was told.

Mr Hornsby said: “His personality, energy and commitment to the charity were largely responsible for its growth and success.

“That positive had a negative side as well. He was described as suffering from ‘Founder’s Syndrome’.”

Thomas Henderson treated the charity like his own “personal fiefdom”, the jury heard.

“The board of trustees were in awe of him, if not intimidated by him for his role in setting up and driving ShelterBox to the success it has had,” Mr Hornsby told the jury.

“It led him to think he was untouchable and not subject to restraint.”

John Henderson was allegedly handed an upfront payment of £263,200 in advance of a £534,000 contract to provide wood-burning stoves to the charity in 2008.

There was a 60% mark-up between what he paid for materials and what he charged ShelterBox, the court was told.

The stoves were not supplied until five or six months after the original payment was made, jurors heard.

There were a number of rumours about corruption in ShelterBox at the time, Mr Hornsby said.

“One of the rumours was that the initial 50% upfront was being paid to enable John Henderson to buy a house in Cornwall,” he added.

Thomas Henderson “slipped” the cheque, worth 13% of ShelterBox’s annual income, to his son “without reference to the fact that it was his son’s company”, he continued.

The Hendersons set up a number of sham companies to try to cover up the fraud, the court was told.

John Henderson set up a new trading name, Ocean Fabrications, after the contract with Camping Solutions was called into question, the court was told.

He then launched Camping Solutions Online to try to hide the fact that he continued to get contracts with the charity, the court was told.

Thomas Henderson tried to put another of his son’s companies, Found International, forward as a new tent supplier for ShelterBox but insisted John Henderson had no link to the organisation, the court was told.

The former CEO lied to his trustees to hide the fact his son would profit financially from the proposal, jurors heard.

Mr Hornsby said: “Thomas Henderson never seems to have accepted or understood that continuing to use his son John Henderson could cause significant damage to ShelterBox and his continued involvement would have to be severely constrained.”

“Darren Gervis was effectively being manipulated by John Henderson with a view to concealing the fact that John Henderson was in fact supplying ShelterBox,” Mr Hornsby added.

Gervis “gave the game away” when he told board members the “bombshell” that John Henderson was financially involved with Found International.

“The attempt to intrude John Henderson covertly had failed,” Mr Hornsby said. “Not for want of trying and in the face of repeated warnings.”

Thomas Henderson also convinced ShelterBox’s main tent supplier Vango to give him the specifications of its “relief tent”, jurors heard.

He then commissioned “knock-off” tents that copied the design, the court was told.

All three defendants were arrested in June 2013 and each denies conspiracy to commit fraud.

Thomas Henderson insisted he did not give preferential treatment to his son and claimed ShelterBox employees had “an axe to grind” against him, jurors heard.