Animal charity trustee jailed for £230,000 fraud

A trustee of an animal charity who stole more than £230,000 from his employer has been jailed for three years.

Kevin Proctor, 62, of Hall Close in Worsbrough, generated fake invoices from Barnsley Animal Rescue Charity for services such as vet care, with the money going straight into his bank account.

He admitted the fraud, which took place over six years and almost led to the charity having to close shops in order to survive.

Jailing him, the Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, said Proctor had breached the trust of staff and the public “in a grotesque fashion”.

The charity has provided care and shelter for hundreds of animals and helps to rehome pets.

Sheffield Crown Court heard earlier that Proctor had stolen the money, some of which was from donations, to pay the rent on his family home.

One of the examples of invoices he faked was for vet care totalling £1,105, the court was told.

An accountant uncovered the issue and there was concern the organisation would lose its status with the Charity Commission as their accounts had not been finalised.

Proctor resigned in February 2022, almost six years after the offending began.

Kathleen Bailey, who founded the charity in 1995, said Proctor’s actions “could have cost us our charity”.

They had discussed selling a shop to avoid financial issues, the court heard.

Despite the conviction, Ms Bailey remained worried about the future of the charity because of the impact on its reputation.

Proctor’s defence barrister said he had “in effect lost everything”.

“His life is comprehensively ruined and he is the author of his own misfortune,” the judge responded.

Sentencing Proctor to a prison term, Recorder Richardson said: “This was an animal charity doing extremely good work in the Barnsley area. The general public will be rightly outraged by your conduct.”

A Proceeds of Crime Act order to recoup some of the money was also made.

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