Crown court cases: Halifax man in court after stealing more than £50,000 from kids' football camp charity

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A Halifax man who worked at a charity which organised football camps for kids has been given a suspended jail sentence after he stole more than £50,000.

Sam McDonnell, 24, had initially volunteered with the self-funded Bradford City Community Foundation when he was just 15 and in 2020 he was employed as a permanent member of staff with responsibility for managing the charity’s website and social media output.

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But Bradford Crown Court heard today (Tuesday) how McDonnell, of Maltings Road in Wheatley, also had access to the financial side of the charity’s website and he abused his position to set up a new email which was linked to the PayPal account used by parents to pay for their children’s activities.

Prosecutor Victoria Barker said McDonnell had contacted the IT company used by the charity and requested a new email be set up, saying the change would only be temporary.

Bradford Crown CourtBradford Crown Court
Bradford Crown Court

Miss Barker said the email set up in May 2021 was never changed back and McDonnell went on to transfer money from the account into his own personal bank account.

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In the summer of 2022 it was noticed that the number of children attending camps didn’t seem to match the payments from parents but McDonnell said the payments were delayed and would be in the account soon.

Further concern was expressed in early 2023 and McDonnell went off work with stress.

Miss Barker said eventually access was gained to the financial side of the website while McDonnell was off work and irregularities in the payments were identified.

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McDonnell, who had no previous convictions, attended a disciplinary hearing and admitted stealing the charity’s money.

He was dismissed and the police were informed.

Miss Barker said the total sum taken was just over £51,600 and the last transfer into McDonnell’s account had been in March 2023.

McDonnell pleaded guilty to a charge of fraud by abuse of position at an earlier crown court hearing and today Recorder Patrick Palmer sentenced him to 21 months in jail suspended for two years.

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The charity had been insured and received a payment of about £46,000, but they had to pay the insurance excess of £5,000.

Recorder Palmer ordered McDonnell, who now has a new job, to pay £5,000 compensation at the rate of £1,000 a month and as part of his suspended sentence he must do 300 hours unpaid work for the community.

McDonnell will also have to comply with a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement and pay £320 costs.

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“This was very mean and nasty offending against the people you worked with and the people who were contributing to that charity,” the judge told McDonnell.

Barrister Shufqat Khan, for McDonnell, said his client was 20 to 22 at the time and he had moved to Leeds to live with his then partner.

He said McDonnell became involved in a “drugs lifestyle” and began using cocaine.

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The court heard that McDonnell was ashamed of his offending and wanted to express his feelings of guilt.

“He is a young man who made a huge error when he was 20 at the time and he’s learned from it,” submitted Mr Khan.

Recorder Palmer said: “You’ve lost your good character. Your behaviour was utterly disgraceful and you’ve just avoided a prison sentence by the skin of your teeth.”