Former church treasurer jailed for theft

Oct 19 2007 By Sarah Chapman, Liverpool Daily Post

Janet Crossett stole more than £88,000 from St Michael's church in Garston _158

THE former treasurer of a Liverpool church who stole more than £88,000 from parish coffers has been jailed for two years.

Janet Crossett, 37, went on a three-year theft spree at St Michael’s, Garston, and plundered the funds she had been appointed to look after, Liverpool crown court heard.

The mother-of-two pleaded guilty to 21 offences of theft from the church’s accounts between 2003 and 2006, totalling £50,400, but asked the court to take into consideration a further 68 similar offences relating to £37,657.

She had stolen a total of £88,057.

Crossett, formerly of Belmont Place, Garston, stole the cash by using her position as a signatory for the church cheque book.

John Chukwuemeka, (CORR) prosecuting, told the court she had made a range of payments to her own and her husbands’ bank accounts, though he had no idea she had been stealing.

She had also cashed cheques from the church’s money.

Mr Chukwuemeka said she had covered her tracks twice by forging the signature of an independent accountant who was supposed to sign the yearly accounts before they were presented to the church at its annual meeting.

An investigation started when essential bills for St Michael’s, such as for the gas and the telephone, had not been paid and an audit trail led to Crossett after unidentified withdrawals were uncovered.

Church of England officials dismissed her from her post and she has since moved away from the parish.

The court heard Crossett, a clerk for a stockbroker’s firm, had not spent the cash on luxuries, but used it to pay off debts, such as her mortgage.

Philip Hall, defending, said Crossett, who has no previous convictions was sorry for what she had done.

Mr Hall said: "She has been a member of the congregation since she was a child and it is a matter of great shame to her, and of great sadness, that she has visited upon them the affect of these offences.

"This was a singularly unsophisticated method of theft - the names on the cheques were hers."

The court heard all members of the church had donated money and it had received a £90,000 legacy.

Jailing her for two years, Judge John Roberts told Crossett the reverend of the church had said in a statement her theft had left the congregation feeling angry, frustrated and hurt.

Judge Roberts told her: "The church bank accounts were used by you as your own private piggy bank.

"The funds, I have no doubt, were worked hard for by the parishioners of St Michael’s, through coffee mornings, jumble sales and even children gave their pocket money.

"You abused your position of trust grossly in doing what you did."