A former Scouts leader has been spared jail after pleading guilty to the theft of £200,000 intended for a children’s trip to Canada.
Robert Sidley, 46, pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position at a Worcester Crown Court hearing on 19 October, where he was handed a suspended sentence.
Sidley, of Worcester, was county lead volunteer at Hereford and Worcester Scouts from 2017 to this year.
The charity had been raising funds since last January for the trip, which would have seen 100 children and 27 volunteers travel to Canada.
But the trip, which was meant to take place this summer, was cancelled in March due to a lack of funds.
In a letter to parents in March, the charity said there had been a “significant theft” of charity funds from a local account specifically set up for trip.
“We believe this [theft] has been in the region of £200,000 and has occurred over an extended period of time,” the letter said.
“In response to this, volunteers from Scouts Hereford & Worcester, supported by UK Scouts, worked hard to stabilise the project while we assessed whether the expedition could continue safely and effectively.
“For a variety of reasons, this was a difficult and complicated undertaking.”
Sidley pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position and was sentenced to 32 months in prison, suspended for two years, and was instructed to complete 220 hours of unpaid work.
A spokesperson for The Scout Association said: “The individual who fraudulently took funds intended for young people’s expeditions has pleaded guilty and been sentenced.
“As soon as concerns emerged, Hereford and Worcester Scouts reported the matter to both the police and the Charity Commission and fully supported the investigation throughout.
“When concerns became known to us, we took immediate action to ensure that no young person or family was left out of pocket. All appropriate refunds have now been made.”
– This article was updated on 22 October to amend an incorrect reference to Sidley being an employee