Church Treasurer Stole £20,000 from a renovation funds for his Gambling Habit

Treasurer Mark Conway-Wilcox Stole money from St Wilfrid's Church's renovation fund and put church in a risk of closure after failing to pay various bills.

A trusted church treasurer who stole £20,000 from a renovation pot to fund his gambling habit has narrowly avoided jail.

Mark Conway-Wilcox, 30, of Newbiggin Hall, Newcastle, admitted four counts of theft after stealing from St Wilfrid's Church's - but claimed the amount he had taken was closer to £15,000.

Yesterday he was branded 'unchristian' for leaving the Newcastle church on the brink of closure after stealing the money and blowing it on gambling.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Conway-Wilcox also failed to pay various bills, had creditors chasing the church and even left it potentially uninsured.

The court heard Conway-Wilcox became treasurer at St Wilfrid's in May 2013 and was responsible for making sure money was put in the bank and invoices were paid.

After receiving complaints about unpaid bills Reverend Sarah Miller initially gave Conway-Wilcox the benefit of the doubt.

But matters came to a head in May last year when Ecclesiastical Insurance rang up and told her they had not been paid and that the church and its contents were potentially uninsured.

An investigation began and it was discovered Conway-Wilcox had transferred £10,098 from the church's refurbishment account into his own between November 2013 and May 2014.

[dailymail]