Turned in by his son...would you do the same..?
SON TURNS IN HIS DAD WHEN HE DISCOVERS HIS DECEIT
A CHARITY rat was exposed as a thieving cheat by his own son.
Philip Wood was a respected member of staff at The Soundroom - a charitable organisation whose aims include facilitating music making for people with learning disabilities.
But when debts started mounting up, he abused his position of trust to divert funds to pay off what he owed, a court heard.
His son, also an employee at the Gateshead project, discovered the dishonesty and an investigation revealed Wood had taken £6,744.
Now the 62-year-old former British Gas worker, who admitted theft, has been given a suspended prison sentence at Newcastle Crown Court.
Recorder David Wilby QC told him: “Stealing from anybody where you are in a position of trust is serious but stealing from a charity, to which people donate money in order that people less fortunate than themselves should benefit from it, makes it all the more serious.
“You were trusted to deal with their finances on a daily basis.”
The court heard Wood originally joined The Soundroom, on Cuthbert Street, on a voluntary basis in 2006 and his son joined at the same time.
In 2015 Wood became a paid employee, doing administrative work including paying bills and wages and paying in donations to the charity’s account.
But between January and July last year, he started diverting funds for his own benefit.
Prosecutor Jolyon Perks said: “His son, who is a prosecution witness, discovered the dishonesty when a number of deposits that had been made from the charity’s bank account had been seen to be directed through (a company).
“In January and February last year, each for more than £1,000, payments this defendant was making to a bailiffs company to keep the wolf from the door, effectively, in relation to a large amount of debt he had accrued and was seeking to keep quiet.
“Once the dishonesty had been discovered, further investigations were made in relation to the many payments that had been made from the charity’s account and a number of additional transactions were noted, payments that went to the defendant himself, which he had then used with a view to dealing with his own personal financial difficulties.
“In short, when the charity’s account was audited, he made a number of transactions which he was responsible for and which deprived the charity of £6,744.
“He had his finger on the button, effectively, in relation to what happened to the charity’s money.”
When he was arrested he accepted full responsibility for the stolen money.
Mr Perks said: “He said he had a number of personal difficulties and he didn’t consider himself to be a good money manager.
“He had got into a large amount of debt in the preceding years. He said he had £80,000 of debt.
“He admitted abusing the phone banking system of the charity.”
The court heard Wood, who has no previous convictions, has paid The Soundroom £7,000 compensation.
A representative of the charity, which has a recording studio and rehearsal rooms available to the community and works with people with learning disabilites and youngsters, said they had been left disappointed and upset and described the shock at Wood’s actions as “unspeakable”, the court heard.
Wood, of Windsor Avenue, Gateshead, admitted theft in breach of trust and was given 12 months suspended for two years.
Brian Mark, defending, said the offending had not had a severe economic impact on the charity.
Mr Mark said Wood looks after his disabled wife and that the son who works for the charity lives with them.
He added: “He turned to theft and is ashamed of that.
“We have a free Press and it seems a lot of people on Tyneside are going to find out what he has done.
“He will be known as the man who stole from charity and that’s his fault, no-one else’s fault.
“Through me, he apologises.”