Church treasurer jailed for £455,000 charity theft

Police said Craig McCulloch was "devious" while pretending to be generous and caring

A "devious" church treasurer who stole more than £450,000 from charities has been jailed for three years.

Craig McCulloch, 34, stole more than £130,000 from a London church, defrauded a charity of £287,000 and took nearly £38,000 from a college.

Police said he "squandered" most of the money on fast food, eBay purchases and rental cars.

McCulloch, of Littleborough in Greater Manchester, pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud by abuse of position.

At Southwark Crown Court, he was also handed a five-year serious crime prevention order.

'Shock and betrayal'

McCulloch stole from both the bank account of St James Church in New Barnet, north London, and the congregation when he volunteered there between September 2013 and December 2018.

He had been working in the accounting departments of south London-based young person's charity XLP and the Oasis College of Higher Education in Kennington when he stole from them, the court heard.

Vicar of St James Church, Rev Laura Jane Hewitt, said the church community had shared "the sense of shock and betrayal of trust".

"Now that justice has been done, we hope and pray that Craig himself will seek to put his life right and find a fresh start," she said.

Det Con Mark Baker, from the City of London Police's fraud team, said McCulloch was "one of the most devious individuals I have ever dealt with" and people felt "shocked and deceived".

"He stole charity and church donations and used them for his own personal gain. He presented an image of someone caring, involved in his local community, leading a Christian lifestyle, and being generous with his money," he said.

He said some of the charities were left "struggling to fund important services".