£50,000 fraudster jailed

A SADDLEWORTH and District Cricket League umpire who defrauded sports clubs out of nearly £50,000 in Tameside has been jailed for three years.

Anthony Beard (59), of Sandbach, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to three counts of fraud by abuse of position and was sentenced at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court yesterday.

Beard dishonestly obtained funds between January, 2007, and January, 2012.

In his role as Secretary of charity the Ashton Trust, he was a signatory on the trust bank account and made 24 cheques payable to himself or for his benefit to the total value of £28,078.

As treasurer of Flowery Field Cricket Club, which used to play in the Saddleworth League, he made 39 cheques payable to himself or companies to his benefit, including utility and phone companies, and also made three cheques payable to his wife to the value of £180.30, totalling a loss as £7,286.

While he worked as a Director and Secretary of Hyde Football Club he defrauded the organisation out of £11,775 between May, 2010, and February, 2011, by making 17 cheques payable to himself or to a company for his own benefit without authority.