The head of Academy Recruitment at Stevenage Borough Football club stole thousands of pounds that parents had paid for their youngsters’ kits.
Ian Morris, 38, took more than £15,000 to fund his gambling addiction, St Albans crown court heard on Wednesday, July 29, 2020.
Prosecutor Charles Judge said Morris, from Dunstable, was employed by the League Two club as head of academy recruitment between July 1, 2015 and March 25, 2019.
He said: “His job was to recruit youngsters for the academy. He was in a position of trust. Orders were taken and he would bill parents for subscriptions and kit.
“His job was too organise a direct debit to Stevenage FC account. In short he was providing his own personal bank details and the money was going to his account.
“In November 2018 the accounts department at the club identified that income was less than expected. “An internal investigation found a £15,000 shortfall.
“Football kit had been sent out, but the money that should have gone to the football club went to the defendant’s account.“
In all 64 parents had inadvertently sent the money to him.
Morris was identified because the account used was the same one that was used to pay his wages. In March 2019 he was interviewed by club and admitted he had a big gambling problem and owed £20,000.
Morris, of Walgrave Road, Dunstable appeared for sentence having pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position and fraud by false representation. He had no previous convictions.
Will Noble, defending, said he was now working as cleaner and wanted to pay all the money back.
He said: “He has had to wait over a year for the case to come to courts. He confessed in his interview. “It was not sophisticated – he used his own bank account details on the form.”
He said he was grateful to the club who had helped him after they became aware of his gambling problem.
Mr Noble said Morris’ marriage had broken down in 2015 and he began gambling for “escapism” and as a “distraction.”
He said he told him: “I have done wrong and need to pay it back.” Recorder Patrick Fields said: “£15,000 is a significant sum of money for a football club like Stevenage Borough.
“To your credit you admitted what you had done and said you had a gambling addiction.” He passed a 12 month jail suspended for two years and ordered him to pay £15,247 compensation at the rate of £400 a month.
