Sunderland Woman Jailed for Stealing Charity Funds

A Sunderland, North East England woman has been sentenced to 28 months in prison after stealing nearly £285,000 from a charity she once relied on as a child, using the money to fuel a gambling habit. 

Forceful Charity Shutdown 

J.R.‘s actions led to the closure of the Pennywell Youth Project, a community hub that had supported local families for decades.

The 32-year-old woman began volunteering at the charity as a teenager before moving into a paid role that included overseeing payroll and grant applications. 

The project, established in the 1990s, offered programs and resources for young people in a socially and economically deprived area of Sunderland, later expanding to help adults and families. Her theft left the charity without funds and forced it to shut down entirely.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, reduced oversight left the charity vulnerable. R. transferred more than GBP 460,000 ($628,675) from the charity’s account into her own over two years, although some of that was legitimate wages. 

After repayments of roughly GBP 20,000 ($27,334), the total amount stolen was GBP 285,229 ($389,839).

“Breach of a High Degree of Trust and Responsibility”

Prosecutor Mairi Clancy described the theft as a “breach of a high degree of trust and responsibility.”

Clancy added that R. used other people’s login details to authorise the transfers. “Much of it happened during COVID when the charity was vulnerable and not being monitored as it usually would be. The theft signalled the end of the charity. All of the money had gone and the charity ceased to exist.”

Staff and volunteers expressed the profound impact of Robson’s actions. 

Ann Langton said: “The benefits the charity brought to residents was truly something special. It was an important part of the community and vanished overnight. It’s a huge betrayal of trust.” 

Former project manager Cassandra O’Neill called the crime “heinous” and described feeling personally let down by someone she considered a friend.

Defence Lawyer: R. Tried to Get Money to “Keep the Charity Running”

R.’s defence lawyer, Claire Anderson, said that her client had seen the charity as a sanctuary since she was 11 and did not take the money for a luxurious lifestyle. 

“She used the money for online gambling to try to get money to keep the charity running,” Anderson said. She added that R. is remorseful, devastated by the closure of the project, and has taken steps to address her gambling problem.

Last September, we reported on the strikingly similar case: another North East charity, Gateshead Access Panel, was also forced to close its doors after its finance officer repeatedly stole money in order to fuel the same gambling habit.