Nottinghamshire councillor convicted of fraud and tax evasion over fake heritage society

Jason Zadrozny, an independent Nottinghamshire county councillor, was convicted on nine fraud charges and four tax-evasion charges after a trial revealed he had fabricated the Ashfield Heritage Society to obtain grant money. He applied for thousands of pounds in funding, withdrew the cash, and used it to buy a house together with Helen-Ann Smith and Thomas Hollis, later receiving a £68,000 gift when the property sold for £168,000.

In addition, he established a classic cinema club for Carry-On film fans that secured a £1,200 taxpayer grant, which he kept for personal use. Zadrozny attempted to blame the late former council chairman Tony Brewer, alleging the cash was meant for a war-memorial project, but jurors found no evidence supporting that story. The court heard he also opened a fraudulent bank account for the heritage society in 2018 and submitted applications with a non-existent address. Judge David Herbert KC indicated a custodial term is probable at sentencing in November, and Reform MP Lee Anderson called for Zadrozny to resign and trigger a by-election.