A fundraiser accused of pocketing cash collected for the young son of murdered soldier Lee Rigby has said the launch of his charity single was a flop because of “atrocious weather”.

Gary Gardner set up an event in Trafalgar Square in London in February 2014 to mark the release of the song Miss You Machine which he claimed was a good idea due to the success of a similar single for the Hillsborough disaster.

Jurors heard how the 56-year-old had set up a band to record the song, which was called Together In Harmony, from singers he had met when he took his daughter to competitions and those he had judged himself.

Gary Gardner
Gary Gardner denies three charges of fraud (Aaron Chown/PA)

Giving evidence on the fifth day of his trial at Leicester Crown Court, the lorry driver denied it was a business exercise after admitting spending £1,000 a day on a London recording studio and £3,000 on staging the launch event in Trafalgar Square which had support acts such as Boney M.

Gardner also said allegations he transferred money from a trust account into his own account to pay off his overdraft were not true.

The court was told how the defendant and a studio producer in Exeter came up with the idea for the “world’s biggest download” for the single – which eventually only raised “a few hundred pounds”.

During a police interview in 2016 Gardner said he had spent between £4,000 and £5,000 on producing the charity track to aid Jack Rigby, whose father was murdered in London in 2013.

Lee Rigby
Lee Rigby was murdered in 2013 (Family handout)

Claiming to have pulled in just over £200 from the single after “bureaucrats” told the press to back away “because it looked political”, Gardner said copies of the recording ended up being given away.

In a separate interview with police, the trucker told officers: “At the end of the day… if I were this fraudster, don’t you think my accounts would be sitting pretty? I am in debt for these charities.

“I am quite passionate about it and what I do. The only thing I can say to you is yes, things are a mess, but that’s just the way I have done it.

“I am really deeply hurt that this is even happening.”

Speaking from the witness box on why the Trafalgar Square event failed to make the expected profits, Gardner said: “Being in one of the biggest landmarks in our country, I thought it would make thousands.

“I thought we were on for a big winner and I thought it was going to make a lot of money for little Jack.

“I just thought it was a good idea knowing about charity singles that had happened before.”

Asked about where he got the idea for a charity single, Gardner said: “I found out about (the single) for the Hillsborough disaster. It was successful – it sold singles and I think that was the one that went to number one.

“Unfortunately (at the launch), with our English weather it was one of the worst rain days in London.

“People were trying to get shelter – it was quite upsetting to see.”

He added: “We were sat there and we were just devastated and thinking ‘what? This is not real.”

Jurors have heard claims Gardner raised at least £24,000 from various events but only £4,000 made its way to any charity because of his “enthusiasm for promoting emerging music artists”.

The lorry driver put on three truck-pull events in 2013, 2014 and 2015 in Medbourne and also in Market Harborough – fundraisers which were attended by thousands of people, including Fusilier Rigby’s widow Rebecca and his son.

Gardner, of Old Holt Road, Medbourne, denies three counts of fraud.

The trial continues.