Former charity treasurer sentenced over £15,262 fraud

A former treasurer of the Japanese Akita Welfare Trust received a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, after taking £15,262 from the dog charity, Newport Crown Court heard. Jade Evans, 43, pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position. The court also ordered her to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and comply with a probation requirement.

The trust rescues and rehomes Japanese Akitas. Evans took charge of its banking in 2023, when the member overseeing the finances was preparing to move abroad. She volunteered for the role and was described in court as persistent in seeking the bank details. She travelled from South Wales to Birmingham to collect banking material from the outgoing treasurer.

The account contained more than £15,000 when Evans took over. Concerns arose when the balance fell to £41.55. Evans said she had moved the money to another account and was arranging a new account for the charity. When asked to return the funds, she sent screenshots that appeared to show a transfer, but the images displayed a banking-app prompt asking whether she wished to make it.

The charity chose member Joanne Turner to take over its finances. Evans did not send her the necessary documents, giving explanations that included family members being in hospital and the postmaster having left for the day. Turner contacted Action For Fraud and later travelled to South Wales to meet Evans.

Evans gave Turner banking documents and said the kennel fees had been paid. Turner subsequently discovered the bank card was missing. When she returned, Evans handed it over, but the chip appeared to have been deliberately scratched. During Turner’s journey home, Evans sent a message saying she had “done something terrible” and admitted taking money from the account.

An examination of the account identified a £13,600 transfer to Evans’s own account and 33 smaller payments. Together, these transactions totalled £15,262. The court also heard that kennel fees had not been paid after Evans took over the charity’s finances.

In a victim personal statement, Turner said the loss had reduced the charity’s funds from a substantial amount to “pennies” and left it having to pay kennel fees. She said the trust had been unable to help Akitas it could otherwise have supported, and described the impact on trustees and volunteers as heartbreaking.

Turner also told the court that social media posts showing Evans’s spending, including holidays, beauty treatments and exotic animals, had caused further hurt. Evans had said she did not spend the money on frivolous purchases and that it went towards household bills. She said she had been dealing with family issues and needed help coping after her husband suffered a stroke.

Defence barrister Benjamin Jones said Evans had apologised and shown genuine remorse. He told the court she had a longstanding gambling addiction and was a carer for her youngest daughter, who has learning difficulties. The court heard she was of previous good character.

Sentencing Evans, Judge Daniel Williams said she alone was responsible for the offence.

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