Treasurer stole to feed gambling addiction

Nottingham residents' group treasurer stole £3,000 to fund gambling addiction
Nottingham Post

THE treasurer of a city centre residents' group stole more than £3,000 from its kitty to fund her gambling addiction, a court heard.

Sharon Poolton, 43, pleaded guilty to theft after withdrawing £3,178 from Victoria Centre Tenants' and Residents' Association's (VICTRA) Santander bank account between March and November last year.

Nottingham Crown Court heard she was £28,000 in debt and spent the money fuelling her gambling addiction after she lost her job at East Midlands Trains last year.

Poolton's withdrawals meant VICTRA was unable to pay for a £319 electricity bill. She also took the bank account into an unauthorised overdraft which then accrued bank charges.

Hannah Kinch, prosecuting, said: "Poolton had been asked by the committee of the tenants' and residents' association to present a set of accounts, but she had made a series of excuses to prevent this from happening.

"In March 2011 she lost her job and started gambling.

"The chairman of the tenants' and residents' association tells me he feels angry and hurt that Ms Poolton was in a position of trust and abused her position."

Andrew Vout, for Poolton, said she had no previous offences.

He said the reason her theft came to light was because Poolton walked into the offices of Nottingham City Homes and confessed.

He said: "She walked into their offices and said 'I'm really sorry I've taken the money'.

Judge Andrew Maw ordered Poolton to pay back what she had taken including the cost of the electricity bill and bank charges, which stood at a total of £3,513. She was also given a 12-month community order, and will be supervised by the Probation Service for 12 months.

Poolton – who is on Jobseekers' Allowance – said she would try to pay back the amount at £50 a month.

Simon Brinley, 56, a resident of 16-years at the flats, said: "This should have never have been allowed to happen. It's terribly sad it has come to this. Nobody has any faith in the association anymore."

A spokesman for Nottingham City Homes said: "As part of the auditing processes and procedures, Nottingham City Homes asked for the accounts to be submitted.

''It was at this stage that Ms Poolton confessed to us about taking the money, resulting in us calling in the police to investigate."