Boss stole £25,000 in loans from deaf charity

Louise McGrath was CEO of Wales Council for Deaf People when she fraudulently obtained £25,000

The former boss of a charity for deaf people stole £25,000 from it by taking out loans in its name.

Louise McGrath, 49, fraudulently obtained the money from Wales Council for Deaf People after rising through the charity's ranks and becoming its CEO.

Merthyr Crown Court heard McGrath offered to pay the money back after she was caught, but made only "a few" payments before she stopped replying to her former employer's letters.

McGrath, of Mound Road, Maesycoed, Pontypridd, was sentenced to two years in jail suspended for two years on Tuesday after pleading guilty to one count of fraud by false representation at a previous hearing.

Prosecuting barrister Abdallah Barakat said the charity took on new accountants in January 2023 who alerted one of the trustees, Geoff Moses, to a loan made to McGrath.

Mr Moses said he had no knowledge of the loan and inspection of the files suggested McGrath had scanned a document previously signed by Mr Moses, added a clause about the loan and then forged his signature on a new document.

The court heard she took out a loan of £6000 in 2019, one of just under £9000 in 2020 and then one of £6000 in 2021.

Known as Louise Sweeney while in charge of the charity, McGrath also “syphoned” off £3,700 into an account by making payments to a previous customer of the charity and then transferring the money to her own account.

The total loss to the charity was £25,164.

Speaking after the hearing, Wales Council for Deaf People (WCDP) said the "reputational cost and subsequent loss of morale amongst staff has been unmeasurable".

"In reaching the verdict today WCDP would hope that Louise can reflect on the significant wrong she has done to the deaf community - a community she was entrusted as CEO to support and advocate for."