Anton Roche with his late mother Leila Roy, a former councillor at the Town Hall

A YOUNG man who was defrauded of ­money raised to support him after the ­sudden death of his mother has said his trust in others has been dealt a “massive blow” by the case.

Anton Roche, 18, lost his mother Leila Roy suddenly two years ago to a heart condition. Ms Roy, 39, was a popular former Conservative councillor for Belsize ward.

In the immediate aftermath of her death, her friend and colleague Alexander Shayler set up an online fundraiser on the GoFundMe ­website. The fundraiser aimed to “cover the immediate costs of Leila’s sudden and tragic passing and to create a trust fund for her son to ensure that her dreams and hopes for him can continue.”

The campaign raised £17,000.

After Ms Roy’s funeral had been paid for and other outstanding costs cleared, the remaining balance was due to be paid to Anton on his 18th birthday.

But last Thursday, Mr Shayler appeared at Highbury Magistrates’ court where he pleaded guilty to one count of fraud after using the remaining balance for his own gain.

The court heard it was Mr Shayler’s responsibility to “safeguard” the money until Anton “came of age”. But when Anton turned 18 earlier this year, the court heard it became apparent that Mr Shayler had used the remaining funds, worth just over £9,000, to buy “items for yourself, not limited to alcohol”.

Mr Shayler, 32, did not speak in court other than to enter his guilty plea.

His solicitor told the court he had paid the amount back in full and “put his hands up at the earliest opportunity” when questioned by police, but acknowledged: “He was in a position of responsibility and he abused that.”

Judge Brennan, who presided over the hearing, referred Mr Shayler to Wood Green Crown Court for sentencing. A date for the sentencing has yet to be set.

Speaking to the New Journal this week, Anton said it had taken a “while to process” recent events. “With everything that’s been going on in life – having to deal with [the case], dealing with my thoughts about mum… it’s just been a lot of things to try and get under control.

“It’s already definitely reflected in the trust I have for people close to me… I’m trying to say this without sounding really cynical, because part of me is like: ‘I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to trust people’, but I know eventually it’ll become easier and I’ll grow to trust people again.

“But it feels like a massive blow to not know who to turn to, who to trust or who to talk to. It sucks, for lack of a better word.”

“I was fortunate enough that there was a resolution… there are people who might think that it’s an easy way to spend someone’s money or take advantage of someone. It’s life-changing sums because someone’s life has changed. And I think it’s really important that there are protections put in place for those people who are really vulnerable.” He added he was speaking publicly in an attempt to prevent similar things from happening in the future.

“There’s bound to be so many people in a similar situation that have never had their story come to light,” he said. He urged people to take extra care when starting online fundraising campaigns.

“Start it yourself if possible, or have someone that you trust that can start it, but also make sure that the proceeds… go into an account that’s signed or trusted,” Anton added.

“From the bottom of my heart, I think it’s really important that people can feel safe and more protected. Going back to Mum, that was an integral part of her job: helping people around her. It’s something I want to do too: I want to be able to help people. If it’s going to help even a single person, that’s a positive change.”

Anton, who recently received his A-level results, will be going to study data science and computing at Birkbeck University.

“One of the main aspirations my mum had for me was for me to be able to follow my dreams,” he said. “What my mum always believed in was doing things by herself, working hard for things. I want to embody that and make her proud.” Current trustee Amit Shah said: “Anton had been defrauded. This should not happen again to any child out there.”

A spokesperson for GoFundMe said: “Donors are always 100 per cent protected on GoFundMe… This means funds are guaranteed to go to the right place or they can get a refund.”

Mr Shayler was approached for comment.