Stafford school treasurer stole £2.4k fundraising cash

A school treasurer stole almost £2,500 from a fundraising pot earmarked to buy audio-visual equipment for the pupils, a court heard.

Father-of-three Richard Jones had been in the unpaid role at Grove Primary in Stafford for only six months when a bank statement, inadvertently sent to the previous treasurer, raised concerns.

It showed that Jones, a member of Stafford Baptist Church, had not banked any of the £2,411 cash raised through fundraising events over Christmas, Cannock magistrates heard.

When he was challenged about the figures by the deputy head, he claimed he had been weighed down by personal matters and deposited the money in the church safe.

The 47-year-old, of Park Avenue, Stafford, was given until the next day to produce the cash. John Peel, prosecuting, said that the headteacher phoned Jones who claimed the church gave him a cheque for the full amount, keeping the cash.

When contacted, the minister Reverend Ron Davis was completely unaware of the matter.

Unemployed salesman Jones, whose wife is a teaching assistant at the school, pleaded guilty to theft between October 2011 and January 2012. Before his arrest he gave a letter to the school admitting his guilt.

Defending him, Michael Wetton said Jones had not set out to steal but the family had found themselves in financial difficulties and he used the money to pay Christmas bills.

His wife had no idea what he had done. The court was told two of the couple's children attend the school.

Jones was given a 12-month community order and sentenced to do 260 hours unpaid work. He was also ordered to repay the money and pay £85 costs.