43 year old Hannah Buckingham pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position, making or supplying an article for use in fraud and possession with intent to supply class A drugs.
In December 2018, Buckingham became treasurer of Esher Football Club.
Her role included managing the club’s finances, collecting fees and paying the bills and she was also responsible for applying for additional funding to support running costs.
After leaving the role in July 2022, her successor noticed that the club’s cash reserves were very low and some bills had gone unpaid.
Buckingham ignored multiple requests for information and made excuses as to why she could not provide a detailed handover.
She eventually supplied false documents which mislead the new treasurer about where the money had gone.
When reviewing the club’s true accounts, it was clear that Buckingham had defrauded it of several thousand pounds.
This was reported to Action Fraud who referred it to Surrey Police to investigate.
A statement based on the club’s true accounts showed that Buckingham had transferred more than £86,000, including a Government-backed ‘bounce-back loan’ during the pandemic.
She was subsequently arrested in July 2023. On searching her address, officers found scales, cash and two bags of white powder which was later confirmed as cocaine.
During police interview, Buckingham accepted the allegations of fraud and admitted to transferring the money to her own accounts.
Detective constable Michael Bambrough said: “Buckingham abused her trusted position to embezzle more than £80,000.
“This was far from a victimless crime. The money should have been used to benefit a vital community asset and several hundred young people. Sadly, these benefits could not become to fruition.
“Thanks to the people who raised concerns about her activity, Buckingham has now faced justice and will serve a period of time behind bars to reflect on her behaviour.”
