A mum has been jailed after stealing more than £53,000 from the serviceman’s benevolent fund where she worked.
Angela Knowles was given an 18-month sentence by a judge at Manchester Crown Court after he heard how she abused her position as divisional treasurer to siphon cash from accounts of the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association.
The charity supports armed forces personnel, veterans and their families.
Knowles’ crime has sparked outrage among the families of bereaved servicemen.
Eddie Hancock, from Wigan, whose son Jamie died while serving as a Kingsman in Iraq in 2006, said: “I think she should get 20 lashes.
“That £50,000 was in the right place, and she diverted it for her own personal greed.”
Knowles, 46, made out cheques from SSAFA and paid them into her account, while working at the charity’s Greater Manchester branch, where she was in charge of the cash for the Salford, Trafford, Rochdale and Manchester city centre divisions.
The mother-of-one, of Fountain Street, Hyde, stole the money over a four-year period to clear her debts. She paid 82 cheques into her own joint account between 2003 and 2007. She admitted fraud and obtaining money by deception, totalling £53,600.
Jonathan Clarke, prosecuting, said she used her maiden name while volunteering at the branch and her husband was not aware of her criminal activities.
Adrian Palmer, defending, told the court that the defendant had already paid back £17,000 of the stolen money.
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only another 36k left to pay back then!!!
YET AGAIN WE SEE ANOTHER TEA LEAF ROBBING FROM THE DECENT PEOPLE THAT REALLY NEED EVERY PENNY. AND SHE GETS 18 MONTHS WHICH MEANS SHE WILL BE OUT IN 9 MONTHS! WHAT A DISGRACE! ...WHAT MAKES THIS EVEN WORSE, IS THAT SHE IS SMIRKING ON HER POLICE PHOTOGRAPH, LOOKING LIKE SHE DONT GIVE A DAMN!
SEND HER TO IRAQ ROBBING B. PETER BEACHILL.
No mention whether the rest of the money will be recovered?
"only another 36k left to pay back then!!! "
...all of which will come out of taxpayers money when she's back on benefits after prison!
Not the dreaded mug-shot smirk again!
Salford72: likely to be down to one of the plod making a little quip such as 'smile for the camera' knowing it'll end up in the paper.
the smerk that says DID'NT I DO WELL
you sad sad people, got nothinhg better to do then call people you dont even know! how do you think our family feel that your saying all this about her she had a little kid that want be able to see her, when she loves her to bits! yeh she did something wrong and she knows that, thats why she was paying it back ino she shunt of done it but she will do anything for her family expecially her little girl! the mug shot smerk, omg get over yourselfs! YOU ARE SICK PEOPLE WRITING ALL THIS, NOONE ONES PERFECT!
I hope this scumbag is made to pay back EVERY penny she stole since her sentence for 18 months is a complete joke and an insult to all families who have lost their love ones in the war.
If she thought so much of her family, especially her child, she would not have thieved in the first place, 4 years is plenty of time to think about it! Why use her maiden name in any event? - sounds dodgy.
What is her maiden name? Just in case she tries this trick again
yes she was in the wrong, we all know that and it was a bad thing to do but she didnt do it to buy expensive holidays and jewellry or anything like that, it was to pay back the debt she was in and ino people willl do alsorts of things to keep there family together, we dont think nothing less of her as a family we know she was in the wrong from when she first started but no ones perfect are they, and in a way we understand why it was done, but we know it aint a good thing atall.
she was not on benefit and she knows she has done wrong she did a stupid thing she got in to money problems and after admiting what she had done she has been trying to pay the money back she has done a something she will regret for the rest of life she has been doing charity work for more than 10 years and not been in trouble before she has just been astupid woman and know she is paying for it
@aj smith. Yes she did wrong, £53,000 worth of wrong, which is actually quite a lot of wrong. She obviously didn't think of the consequenses for the child you say she adores when she was lining her pockets with other peoples hard earned cash which was meant for people in a lot more desperate need them herself. You are trying to defend the indefensible. You deride people for commenting without knowing her personally, they don't have to know her. The facts speak clearly for themselves, she's a thief..she was caught and now she's gone to jail. That's what is supposed to happen to criminals..even the nice ones.
I have known Angie and her husband for many years. They were a very respectable family, one i was proud to say "they were friends", i can only say it must have been desperation although i cannot condone what she did.it was certainly out of character. But she did this not once but many times which makes me even more unsecure on who your friends are and how much you know about the person next door. If honest i still cant believe it, she had everthing, a lovely daughter and a great husband, shouldnt that be enough. .