Charity con shame of mother who made surrogacy history
‘Frittered the money away’
THE first mother in Britain to use a surrogate has been spared jail after embezzling £50,000 from the charity she set up to help childless couples.
Georgina Dodd made history in the 1980s after placing a personal advertisement in a newspaper asking for a volunteer to have a baby for her.
Mary stewart, a young mother from the north-east of scotland, volunteered and gave birth to a son, John.
This made headlines at the time because the child was conceived naturally by Miss stewart and Mrs Dodd’s husband, Michael.
Dodd, of Gruids, sutherland, appeared at Tain sheriff Court for sentencing yesterday, having earlier admitted embezzling £50,000 from the charity Childlessness Overcome Through surrogacy, known as COTs.
The court heard that Dodd and her husband were unpaid secretary and treasurer of the organisation, which was set up in 1984.
COTs offered support and services to couples, who had to pay a membership fee and annual subscription to the charity. But Dodd, 69, secretly began pocketing funds, and between January 2005 and October 2006, she ‘frittered away’ £50,000.
Her lawyer, Liam Robertson, told sheriff Chris Dickson: ‘it is as simple as that. she can’t explain where it went, but she accepts full and unfettered responsibility.’
Fiscal depute David Morton told the court that Dodd set up a secret account in COTs’ name at the Royal Bank of scotland and paid cheques into it for her own personal gain. she also transferred money from the charity’s official account to her own and moved funds to accounts in the name of her son, John, and another woman.
John Dodd told police he did not know where his mother got the money she gave him.
Passing sentence yesterday, sheriff Dickson told Dodd he would not jail her because she was a first offender, at low risk of re-offending, and had repaid some of the money.
But he added: ‘i also take into account your personal circumstance and the testimonials on your behalf. You are the primary carer for your husband and your sister-inlaw and this matter has been hanging over your head for a considerable time.’
she was ordered to carry out the maximum 300 hours of unpaid community work, wear a tag for 120 days and remain in her home from 8pm to 6am during this period.
Mr Morton said that Dodd, who has repaid £15,000, will be pursued in the civil court under Proceeds of Crime legislation to recover the balance.
When asked to comment on her crime outside court, Dodd replied: ‘no thank you.’
Mr Morton said the offence surfaced in May 2006 after a board member became suspicious when Dodd wanted to increase the membership fee.
Then, in August that year, COTs’ newsletter made an urgent appeal for donations, when Dodd’s colleague believed there to be more than £50,000 in its bank account. Discrepancies in the accounts were found and the police were informed. it was then discovered that creditors had been chasing the organisation for unpaid invoices.
The Dodds made history after placing their advert in the Aberdeen evening express, which read: ‘surrogate mother wanted for childless couple.’
Miss stewart, then 24, volunteered, saying she had enjoyed pregnancy, but the family doctor refused to perform artificial insemination.
Using natural conception, she became pregnant at the third attempt and, on August 1, 1984, John was born at Raigmore Hospital in inverness.
no money exchanged hands and after his birth the baby was handed to Dodd.
in 2006, John became a father when his daughter, Regan, was born.