Gambling Addict Who Stole £120,000 Walks Free After UK Disability Charity Forced to Close

In a court case that was delayed eight years after the UK disability charity Gateshead Access Panel was forced to close, an employee who stole more than £120,000 to fund a gambling addiction has received a suspended sentence.

Steven Hughes, 40, was formerly a finance officer at Gateshead Access Panel, which provided support for disabled people and their carers.

Hughes, who initially embezzled £32,000 from the charity, was allowed to keep his job after those funds were repaid. However, he “repeatedly (helped) himself to cash to fund his gambling habit” and effectively forced Gateshead to shut down.

“He was in a position of trust and dealing with hundreds of people,” Prosecutor Neil Pallister said. “He dealt with all of the charity’s financial accounts and payroll.”

He added, “The charity had to close in 2018 due to the financial losses it sustained, caused by the defendant’s actions.”

In addition to a compulsive gambling disorder, defense attorney Matthew Purves said his client’s autism helped him develop “intense interests” that led to erratic behavior.

Multiple Thefts Preceded Hughes’ Admission

In June 2017, Gateshead “found it had insufficient funds in its accounts to pay carers,” which Hughes initially attributed to a banking error.

When a similar scenario played out the next month, Hughes used the “same excuses before admitting he was stealing again to fund a gambling addiction.”

Later, Hughes was caught using his phone to gamble online at work. Palister, the prosecuting attorney, added, “He had linked the charity’s account to his PayPal account, and he was still stealing.”

Court Case Delayed Eight Years

Judge Robert Adams said there was “no explanation for why the case had taken some eight years to resolve, but in the meantime Hughes had sought treatment.”

Adams added that his behavior had been fueled by his “autism and addictive personality” and both Hughes and the victims “had the case hanging over them for eight years due to the ‘enormous delay.'”

In addition to the suspended sentence, Hughes was also ordered to perform 150 hours of unpaid work, with a “hearing to determine repayment of the money set for a future date.”