A FORMER church treasurer, Terence Capstick, aged 75, of Park Road, Winslow, in Buckinghamshire, has been jailed for defrauding St Laurence’s, Winslow, and the Rogers Free Educational Trust out of greater than £285,000, Thames Valley Police report.
Mr Capstick was sentenced at Aylesbury Crown Court on 6 August to 4 years for 2 counts of fraud by abuse of position, having pleaded guilty at a hearing at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court on 20 May.
Between January 2019 and October 2023, Mr Capstick took £163,600 from the church’s checking account and £122,052 from the tutorial trust’s account. He was arrested on 19 March this yr and charged on 23 April.
Detective Constable Ross Acland of the Central Fraud Unit said: “This is the proper lead to this case and an amazing amount of evidence gathered by officers has assisted us in reaching this point.
“Capstick systematically abused the position of trust he was placed in through greed and solely for private gain. Over the course of greater than 4 years, he has taken community funds earmarked for good causes and used them to fund his own lifestyle.”
The Bishop of Buckingham, the Rt Revd Dave Bull, expressed gratitude for the police investigation, which had brought “clarity and certainty” regarding the events.
“We pray for the PCC, the parish, the community across the church, and that the brand new team charged with managing our financial affairs will proceed to bring their expertise to our church. We also pray for rehabilitation and healing for the previous treasurer.”
