diff --git a/backend/src/graphql/resolver/ContributionResolver.test.ts b/backend/src/graphql/resolver/ContributionResolver.test.ts
index dcbf0d52e..c3df9bd1d 100644
--- a/backend/src/graphql/resolver/ContributionResolver.test.ts
+++ b/backend/src/graphql/resolver/ContributionResolver.test.ts
@@ -1633,7 +1633,11 @@ describe('ContributionResolver', () => {
             it('logs the error thrown', () => {
               expect(logger.error).toBeCalledWith(
                 'Cannot create contribution since the user was deleted',
-                expect.objectContaining({ deletedAt: new Date('2018-03-14T09:17:52.000Z') }),
+                expect.objectContaining({
+                  user: expect.objectContaining({
+                    deletedAt: new Date('2018-03-14T09:17:52.000Z'),
+                  }),
+                }),
               )
             })
           })
diff --git a/backend/src/graphql/resolver/ContributionResolver.ts b/backend/src/graphql/resolver/ContributionResolver.ts
index 8765d29a8..340d99524 100644
--- a/backend/src/graphql/resolver/ContributionResolver.ts
+++ b/backend/src/graphql/resolver/ContributionResolver.ts
@@ -307,14 +307,8 @@ export class ContributionResolver {
     if (!emailContact) {
       throw new LogError('Could not find user', email)
     }
-    if (emailContact.deletedAt) {
-      throw new LogError(
-        'Cannot create contribution since the emailContact was deleted',
-        emailContact,
-      )
-    }
-    if (emailContact.user.deletedAt) {
-      throw new LogError('Cannot create contribution since the user was deleted', emailContact.user)
+    if (emailContact.deletedAt || emailContact.user.deletedAt) {
+      throw new LogError('Cannot create contribution since the user was deleted', emailContact)
     }
     if (!emailContact.emailChecked) {
       throw new LogError(
diff --git a/backend/src/seeds/users/stephen-hawking.ts b/backend/src/seeds/users/stephen-hawking.ts
index a683b7579..6c4f34d10 100644
--- a/backend/src/seeds/users/stephen-hawking.ts
+++ b/backend/src/seeds/users/stephen-hawking.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { UserInterface } from './UserInterface'
 
+// TODO: the generated email_contact is not deleted
 export const stephenHawking: UserInterface = {
   email: 'stephen@hawking.uk',
   firstName: 'Stephen',