A trusted treasurer for a Manchester-based charity which helps young disadvantaged youngsters has been jailed after stealing more than £6,000 from the fundraising organisation.
After pleading guilty to five counts of theft at an earlier hearing at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, Michael Garner, 53, of Woodside, Stockport, has been jailed for 20 months.
The organisation Cheadle and Gatley Round Table, which was founded in 1960, appointed Garner as a treasurer which gave him the opportunity to commit various acts of fraud.
Detective Constable Chris Nield said: “Michael Garner in total stole in the region of £6,000 that was meant for local charities and various good causes.
“His actions not only defrauded the charity affected and those members of the public who donated generously, but also undermined the Round Table, an organisation the communities of Cheadle and Gatley should be proud of.
“This was a devastating abuse of trust where Garner tried to manipulate relationships with others he had built up over time.”
Suspicions about Garner’s fraudulent activities came to light following the Round Table’s annual Cheadle bonfire held at the grounds of the Together Trust.
The Round Table has traditionally been a charitable organisation that provides care, education and support to disadvantaged young people in the region.
After collecting the cash from ticket sales, Garner was selected to collect funds from a local bakery and school PTA.
Reservations about Garner grew after he contacted his treasury partner at the Round Table and said he had an extra £2,500 in cash that he would pay in to the bank himself.
This then prompted a police investigation into the organisations finances where further discrepancies committed by Garner were found.
A Cheadle and Gatley Round Table spokesperson said: “Members of our Round Table give up lots of their own time to help the local community by organising events and reinvesting funds in local causes.
“We are incredibly disappointed that Mr Garner abused our trust in him and stole from our charity.
“We are registered with the Charity Commission and all our accounts are audited. Our vigilance picked up this theft and we would like to assure local people that any money we raise is monitored carefully and put to good use.”
The police enquiry highlighted a string of fraudulent occurrences starting in 2008 after the Round Table were due to pay a significant donation to the Together Trust in November 2007.
Two cheques of note came to light with one of £3,000, paid to Together Trust, which had been countersigned by another member of the Round Table and another of £3,500 paid directly to Garner.
After reviewing the chequebook, the first legitimate cheque had been declared to be void and had been replaced with the cheque to Garner.
When challenged about this by other members of Round Table, Garner claimed he had paid cash up front to the Together Trust and he was simply paying himself back.
The subsequent police investigation found that the Together Trust had never received cash payments from Garner and that the second cheque had a forged signature of the member who countersigned the original cheque.
Together Trust’s Chief Executive, Mark Lee, said: “We are aware of the case involving our former Trustee, Mike Garner, and the fraudulent collection of funds intended for the Together Trust.
“It is disappointing that this incident has occurred as we work hard to fundraise to support our service users and their families.”
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