Rhos woman stole more than £3,000 from playgroup while she was treasurer

Charlene Coughlan, 35, wrote paying-in slips for £3,160 at Johnstown Playgroup – but did not bank the funds.

Coughlan's thefts came to light after the discrepancies were noticed in the playgroup’s account and then confirmed by an accountancy firm.

Rhian Jackson, prosecuting at Wrexham Magistrates Court, said the playgroup is run by a committee made up mainly of parents.

Coughlan, of Cae Daniel, Rhos, was responsible for making bank payments, magistrates heard.

Four separate paying-in slips had been written out, the money had not appeared in the account and had not been banked.

Coughlan would take money from parents, record the amounts in a register and put the money in a cash box.

Others would sometimes take money and these would also be kept in a box and recorded in the register. The treasurer was responsible for taking the money to the bank, Miss Jackson said.

The paying-in slips relating to the offences were dated December 2015 (£1,550), February 2016 (£550), as well as April (£700) and May (£360) of that year.

During a police interview, she suggested that another person at the playgroup - which is located at Heol Kenyon - was responsible for the thefts.

She told police she was confused about the book-keeping and did not know if she had done it correctly, but she had been told she had.

Coughlan had denied four counts of theft but was found guilty after trial on February 21.

Miss Jackson added that the “inescapable conclusion” from the evidence presented at trial was that Coughlan stole the money.

Probation officer Pamela Roberts said Coughlan still denied the thefts and said that others had access to the accounts.

Coughlan said she took the job very seriously and worked very hard for the playgroup.

The former support worker had not been able to work for some time due to health difficulties, the court heard.

Bethan Jones, defending, said that at no point had she suggested to witnesses that they were responsible for the offence during the trial.

She added, however, that the evidence was not as black and white as had been suggested by the prosecution.

Evidence was given at the trial of “all sorts of accounting procedures” that “showed a different side” to the accounting arrangements at the playgroup.

Coughlan was of previous good character, a mother and someone who was “towards the vulnerable end of the scale as far as offenders are concerned”, Miss Jones said.

She has an extremely unusual muscle wasting disease which had a number of symptoms, including forgetfulness and seeming to have a delayed reaction when speaking.

Magistrates jailed Coughlan for 26 weeks, suspended for a year, and ordered her to pay the full amount in compensation to the playgroup.

She must also pay £620 in costs and a £115 surcharge.

Kimberly Caruana, chairman of the bench, told Coughlan that while the thefts were unsophisticated, she had clearly tried to cover her tracks.

Custody was justifiable, but the chairman added that the bench would draw back due to Miss Jones' strong mitigation and the fact that Coughlan was sole carer to two children.

She added: “This is a breach of trust, and a shameful and deceitful act – and for this you have lost your good name.”

SPEAKING after the hearing, playgroup chairman Danielle Jones said that the playgroup had nearly closed due to the theft.

Mrs Jones said it was only thanks to support from the Wales Pre-school Providers Association that Johnstown Playgroup stayed open.

She added: "In a couple of years we're celebrating our centenary, so we've been serving the local community for a very long time and we were very close to closing because of this."

Mrs Jones told how the case had really upset committee members, adding: "I think it really makes you question your judgement in people."

She added that she had not wanted Coughlan to be jailed, as she is mother and it was her first offence, but was glad she was being made to repay the funds she stole while volunteering at the playgroup.

She said: "We're a registered charity. That's our running costs basically. We don't have excess money, we don't have profits."

Mrs Jones also thanked North Wales Police for their "phenomenal" work in ensuring the case went to court.