Church warden must return siphoned £35k

Steven Clark took the cash from a fund which was intended to fund a restoration of the 12th century St Michael and All Angels Church in Alnham.

Sentencing the 48 year old, Mr Recorder Ray Singh said: “There can be no bigger breach of trust one can imagine than these particular circumstances.”

Newcastle Crown Court was told Mr Clark spent £35,690 on purchases including 76 bottles of wine, feed for his horses and drinks at private members’ clubs in London.

Mr Clark pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position in a spate of dishonest transactions spanning from January 2015 until November 2016.

Avoiding jail, the married father of one was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years. He was also told to undertake 240 of unpaid work and pay £1,500 in costs.

Mr Clark’s actions were discivered when the treasurer of the local district council became suspicious about certain items of expenditure.

A church warden who conned his church in Northumberland out of more than £35,000 has been ordered by a judge to pay back every penny.