Black Lives Matter fraudster behind Colston statue toppling in Bristol who splashed more than £30K raised from donors to fund her lifestyle - including nearly £6K on Uber rides as well as rent, an iPhone and takeaways - is jailed for 2½ years
- Xahra Saleem, 23, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by abuse of position
A Black Lives Matter fraudster who splashed around £30,000 raised from donors on her lifestyle has been jailed.
Saleem described herself as a screenwriter and was a co-founder of the All Black Lives Bristol group.
She was named among 30 of the most influential under-30s in Bristol last year.
Xahra Saleem helped mastermind the BLM protest in Bristol during the first Covid lockdown which saw trader Edward Colston's statue toppled and dumped in the harbour.
The 23-year-old activist admitted fraud following a police investigation into a GoFundMe page called 'BristBLM', which was set up ahead of the headline-grabbing demo in June 2020.
Saleem received £32,344 in donations raised from 558 individual contributions. She went on to spend the money earmarked for local charities to fund her lifestyle - from her rent, hair and beauty appointments, and takeaways, to a new iPhone, iMac and Amazon purchases.
Bristol Crown Court heard that the BLM organiser even splurged nearly £6,000 on Uber rides.
She had been drinking heavily and taking drugs at the time, and had mental health issues.
Saleem, of Romford, Essex, was jailed for two-and-a-half years at a sentencing hearing today.
Xahra Saleem, 23, (pictured) pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by abuse of position following an investigation by Avon and Somerset Police into a GoFundMe page called 'BristBLM' set up ahead of the protest in Bristol in June 2020
Saleem described herself as a screenwriter and was a co-founder of the All Black Lives Bristol group
The statue being pulled down in Bristol
BLM protesters dragged the statue into the harbour, spray painted it and then threw it into the water
Organisers of the controversial protest were left horrified by her crimes - saying the community had lost trust in them.
Protesters tore down a statue of Edward Colston in Bristol on June 7, 2020, amid Black Lives Matter demonstrations
Saleem, pictured outside Bristol Magistrates Court in January, went on to spend a total of £44,815 on what were described as 'lifestyle' expenses - including £5,800 on Ubers
Saleem - who changed her name from Yvonne Maina - had initially entered not guilty pleas to two charges of fraud.
The statue was toppled in June 2020.
Left-wing protesters had drawn up a list of statues of historical figures to target, including Oliver Cromwell, King Charles II and First World War hero Lord Kitchener.
The statue of Winston Churchill outside Parliament was also daubed with graffiti, leading to it being covered up to prevent further damage.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12693877/Black-Lives-Matter-fraudster-Colston-statue-Bristol.html
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