Junior football club’s ex-treasurer sentenced after stealing funds

THE FORMER treasurer of a Bradford junior football club who stole more than £14,000 from the organisation has been handed a suspended jail sentence.

Jemma Blackburn’s crime left Westwood Juniors at “rock bottom” with less than £500 in the bank, but a judge heard yesterday the club was had managed to keep going as a result of fundraising activities by its members.

Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC told Blackburn, 35, that he would have sent her to prison if her offending had resulted in the closure of the football club, which runs atotal of 12 teams and has more than 130 registered players.

Blackburn, of Ascot Parade, Bradford, took just over £14,500 from the club’s bank account over a six-month period in 2012, but the theft only came to light in January last year. Blackburn, a mother with no previous convictions, pleaded guilty last month to a charge of fraud over the stolen cash and Bradford Crown Court heard that her family’s finances were in disarray at the time.

Barrister Nigel Jamieson, for Blackburn, said £3,000 was “borrowed” to buy a car for her husband and other household debts and bills were paid.

He said that Blackburn had a vain hope she could repay the money.

The judge decided that Blackburn’s eight-month jail term could be suspended for a year and ordered her to do 200 hours unpaid work.

He also ordered a proceeds of crime inquiry.

This will look at her finances to ascertain if any compensation can been made to the football club.