Fraudster left Corby football club on brink of collapse after abusing role as treasurer

Corby Hellenic Fisher Youth Football Club members had to dip into their own pockets and the Burghley Drive outfit was granted a loan after Kirsty Hill’s wicked actions.

Over the course of 11 months the 43-year-old abused her position to help herself to almost £13,000, using false supplier names to cover her tracks, until she was eventually caught out.

Yesterday (Wednesday) she was spared from prison and ordered to carry out unpaid work after admitting fraud.

Northampton Crown Court heard Hill was in charge of finances when the club was told by suppliers that bills were not being paid. The club received a national grant to make repairs to their clubhouse, which had fallen into disrepair, and in order to receive the cash they had to disclose some of their finances – but Hill was not keen to share them.

Prosecutor Andy Peet said: “It became plain that the defendant was evasive and reticent to provide the information.

"She had been systematically stealing from the club bank account.”

Hill, of Lynmouth Place in Corby, was challenged by club chair Fabienne Thomas and was again evasive.

Mr Peet said: “She provided excuses and provided a spreadsheet that was either completely false or partly false.”

When the club chair became fed up with the excuses that were being put forward they obtained copies of bank statements, where it became clear that there were discrepancies.

They showed transactions from the football club’s bank account directly into an account held by Hill, including numerous examples of fake suppliers.

The court heard that one was marked as ‘ref fees’ but it took place during the Covid lockdown – when no matches were being played.

In total about £12,800 was taken in 108 fraudulent transactions between August 2020 and July 2021, with amounts ranging up to £700.

Mr Peet said: “She said ‘I’m sorry, I lost control, I cannot keep my head afloat’.”

The court heard that more than £3,000 has been paid back by Hill’s mum.

Hill was arrested and denied stealing money before later admitting her actions, saying she thought she could pay it back. She said the amount stolen was about £4,000.

Mr Peet said: “She was plainly in a position of trust that was abused.”

In a victim impact statement read by Mr Peet, Ms Thomas said 140 children play for the club which is entirely funded by their subs money.

She said that as a result of the money being taken debts could not be made and committee members had to dip into their own pockets. The club had to be granted a loan of £3,000 to prevent its collapse, which would have had a significant impact on the community.

Ms Thomas said: “We are not just a football club, we are a big family offering support and friendship for the children and their families.”

The court heard that sentencing guidelines gave Hill’s offending a starting point of 18 months in prison with a range of up to three years behind bars.

Mitigating, Liam Muir argued the case for an alternative to custody and said there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation, adding that she was of previous good character and had committed no offences since.

Mr Muir said Hill is the primary carer for her children and that going to prison would have a significant impact on them.

He said: “She is a woman who was struggling to keep her head above water and made an appalling decision.”

Her Honour Judge Rebecca Crane said the offence was so serious it crossed the custody threshold but took the impact it would have on Hill’s children into account.

Hill was sentenced to a 12-month community order with rehabilitation activities, a mental health treatment requirement and 150 hours of unpaid work. She will face Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings in September,