Barnsley man involved in defrauding homeless charity of £30,000 avoids prison sentence
A man who helped defraud a homeless charity of more than £30,000 has been spared a prison sentence.
Arpad Balazs played a significant role in a complex and organised operation to surreptitiously defraud thousands of pounds from Wirral Churches Ark Project in Birkenhead.
The 35-year-old from the Worsbrough Common area of Barnsley appeared in the dock at Sheffield Crown Court alongside his interpreter (March 11) after pleading guilty to charges related to concealing criminal property in November 2025.
“Wirral Ark charity supports people that are homeless or at risk of homelessness,” prosecution barrister Caroline Abraham said in court.
“Some of their services are paid for by the NHS.”
In October 2022, the charity emailed an invoice to the NHS for £35,159 related to payment for the provision of nursing services, the barrister told the court.
Months later they followed this up and the NHS responded by saying that they had already sent the money.
Yet, upon checking the charity’s bank accounts, no one could find a trace of the £35,000.
“The payment had been made to the defendant’s bank account,” Ms Abrahams explained.
The court was told how the charity's emails had been hacked, with the hacker sending details of a Barclays bank account opened in Balazs’ name to the NHS.
While the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) conceded that Balazs was not the hacker, they revealed that they are ‘unable to say’ who the hacker was.
Judge Charles Thomas went on to describe the wider network as ‘organised crime’, saying the Balazs played an ‘important role’ in the scheme.
During proceedings, the prosecuting barrister explained how following the fraudulent payment, Balazs made a number of transfers and withdrawals that saw £23,865.65 removed from his four accounts.
The bank eventually discovered thE scheme and claimed more than £14,000 from Balazs’ account, with him subsequently getting arrested.
However, Ms Abraham explained that during police interviews Balazs responded to all questions with ‘no comment’.
The details of his prior convictions were read out for the court, which include charges of grievous bodily harm, affray, robbery and an offence described as ‘taking justice into his own hands’ dating back to 2012 in his native Hungary.
A further charge of battery was brought forward in 2022, after he had moved to the UK.
Balazs’ representative James Burley said: “He embroiled himself in this, but he was not the main perpetrator.”
The defence barrister told the court how his client was just one part of the criminal enterprise.
He said Balazs would not have claimed the full £23,000 that was still missing after the judge remarked that if he was to enforce 200 hours of community service Balazs would essentially be getting paid £100 an hour.
“I’m sure many of the professionals in front of me would point out that they don’t get paid that for their work,” the judge said in court.
Mr Burley explained how Balazs is a carer for his father and provides support to his partner and her son, and that he has not reoffended since his involvement in this crime.
He also mentioned that there have been repeated delays in this case, which he clarified were not Balazs’ fault.
He went on to point out details of a pre-sentence report which explained how Balazs has a high chance of rehabilitation.
“Ultimately, it’s my submission that the court could suspend the inevitable custodial sentence and punish him in the community to assist in the course of his rehabilitation,” Mr Burley continued.
Judge Thomas asked for details of the defendant’s visa, and the barrister explained that in February this year his right to stay in the UK was renewed for five years.
Passing sentence, the judge said: “It is a potentially highly lucrative form of criminal offending as large amounts of money, as in this case, can be transferred.
“The reality is those who do that exercise of changing the bank details may be even in different countries, a very long way away, and the chance of being caught is very small.
“The only inference is you agreed to carry out that important role for them to have the money paid into your account and you quickly over the following days started to remove the money so the profit could be realised.
“You therefore were playing a part in what effectively was organised crime.”
However, the judge considered the delays this case has faced and the important role Balazs plays in offering support to his family and said he was ‘just persuaded that those matters counterbalance the seriousness of the offence’.
He passed a custodial sentence of 12 months, suspended for two years.
He also ordered Balazs to complete 250 hours of unpaid work.
“That will be a punishment for the offence that you have carried out,” he continued.
“I bear in mind you will not have received all of the money from this fraud - but you will have had some of it and doing that work will be a deterrent from you doing this kind of offence again.”
The judge seized £200 in cash that Balazs was carrying when he was arrested, and ordered he pay a victim surcharge, however said it ‘is not practical’ to put forward any other financial penalties as Balazs is unemployed and lives off state benefits including a carer’s allowance.