Woman to return cat statue funds after spending cash
A woman who started a crowdfunding campaign to pay for a statue in memory of a beloved cat has admitted to spending the cash herself.
When Tilly the cat from Gosport in Hampshire was hit by a car, a 44-year-old woman - who was not known to Tilly's owner - opened a GoFundMe page.
Nearly £3,000 was raised for the bronze sculpture, but weeks after its completion, the artists said they had still not been paid.
Police gave the woman a conditional caution, telling her to repay all the money to Tilly's owner.
Often photographed wandering around the town, the Bengal cat found social media fame on Tilly's Gosport Adventures Facebook page.
Following her untimely death in October, tributes from the community poured in, with owner Caroline Oakes describing her as "one-of-a-kind".
After locals donated to the fundraiser, Ms Oakes commissioned sculptors Paul and Remy Hoggard to make the statue.
The bronze figure, costing £1,850, was posted to Tilly's owner on 21 March, with plans to give it a permanent home at Gosport Museum and Art Gallery.
But six weeks later, Mr Hoggard said they had not received any money from the appeal, despite sending the woman an invoice.
Ms Oakes told the BBC she had tried to contact the woman herself, but said she gave several excuses and the money still did not emerge.
She said the situation had left her "upset and angry".
Sand artists Mr and Ms Hoggard met Tilly in the summer of 2023 while visiting Gosport Art Gallery, where one of their sculptures was being exhibited.
"She was lovely, she posed for us and we had a ton of sand spare so we decided to create a sand sculpture of Tilly," Mr Hoggard recalled.
After hearing of the car accident, the couple saw the online fundraiser and offered to make a life-sized bronze statue, giving the people of Gosport "something to remember her by".
But Mr Hoggard said he had been left out-of-pocket after not receiving any money.
"I funded the whole process and this has cost me a lot of time and energy and money," he said.
Following an investigation, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said a 44-year-old woman had been interviewed under caution, where she admitted to spending money from the fundraiser.
She was given a conditional caution, with the condition that the full funds of about £2700 must be repaid.
"We are grateful to the public who contacted us about this incident which has enabled us to resolve the matter for the victim and wider community," a spokesman added.
GoFundMe said it had zero tolerance for misuse of its platform and had also been investigating.
Ms Oakes thanked those who donated to the fundraiser for their kindness and patience.
"The money raised does not belong to me so every single penny of it will go towards keeping the memories of Tilly alive," she added.
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