Treasurer stole £20k from dog clubs to pay bills

BBC

A woman took more than £20,000 from two dog clubs to pay her bills as she struggled to meet the cost of living.

Truro Crown Court heard Lisa Murch, of Silford near Northam in Devon, transferred funds from the Chesapeake Bay Retriever Club and Cornwall Gun Dog Club while she was treasurer of both between March 2023 and October 2024.

Murch, a single mother of two who also kept cash raised at raffles and club events, took £20,409 before club officials spotted account discrepancies.

The 44-year-old admitted two charges of fraud by abuse of position and was sentenced to 15 months in prison - suspended for two years - and ordered to pay £200 a month compensation to the clubs for the next two years.

Prosecutor Pip Harper told the court Murch had only paid back £590 to date.

Defence barrister Matt Mortimer said Murch had no money and was ashamed and remorseful.

He added: "She spent it on day-to-day activities.

"There was no suggestion of holidays, it was just the bare day-to-day existence for her.

"She was always going to get caught, it snowballed and she was never going to get away with it."

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