£5m church fraudster jailed

A FORMER church warden who defrauded friends and fellow parishioners out of £5.3 million has been jailed for six years.

Patrick Coppeard, 49, admitted fraud by false representation between 2008 and 2013 while he was church warden at St John’s in Buckhurst Hill, Essex.

Detective Constable John Vickers said: “Coppeard preyed on his closest friends and family for his own gain. He has devastated the lives of a considerable number of people.”

Many of his 62 victims were in court.