The former treasurer of a charity in Devon has been jailed for three years and nine months after she diverted around £200,000 of charitable funds into her own accounts during an almost decade long fraud spree.

Devon and Cornwall Police say Geraldine Coates, aged 60 from Kings Road, Honiton, “siphoned off” the money during 2009 and 2018, while she was treasurer of Honiton and District Agricultural Association.

Some of the money taken was spent on home improvements, a holiday and running her business.

Her fraud was discovered when financial checks were carried out eight years ago following a dispute between Coates and the charity over a missing payment to a supplier.

This involved Coates using her husband’s business account to process a payment, which triggered further checks that uncovered “more suspicious transactions” and led to her resignation in 2018.

During her fraudulent spree cheques were made with unidentified second signatures, invoices went missing and she fabricated bank statements in an attempt to cover up her dishonesty.

Mostly she wrote cheques from the charity to herself that she claimed were for suppliers, say police.

Money taken included transferring more than £11,000 from the charity to pay off her own credit card while falsely claiming the money was to pay Devon and Cornwall Police for show policing.

“In many instances Coates deposited amounts into her account and then made payments for goods or services for the same amount, said police.

Coates, who had been treasurer of the charity since 1996, was jailed and confiscation proceedings are set to follow after she appeared at Exeter Crown Court earlier this week having previously been found guilty at trial of fraud.

'Betrayed a position of trust'

“Geraldine Coates over the course of around nine years between 2009 and 2018 betrayed a position of trust she held at a highly thought-of local charity,” said Fraud Triage and Support Team Detective Constable Alan Findlay.

“Due to the length of time Coates had been in the role and the good relationship she had with committee members, she had full trust to manage the charity’s finances and accounts in its best interests.”

He added: “HDAA promotes agricultural and educational causes and Coates defrauded the charity out of vital funds that could have been used to benefit others, spending the money on her own needs and wants.

“Coates took active steps to try and cover her offending and at no point did she have the courage to admit what she did – even taking the matter to trial despite the strong financial evidence against her.

“I’d like to thank the jury for their attention to detail when considering the case, and welcome the sentence given to Coates. I would also like to thank the HDAA for their co-operation at what was undoubtedly a difficult time for those at the charity whose trust had been betrayed by someone they knew well.”

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