A Scout group was brought to the brink of bankruptcy when its "reluctant" treasurer stole nearly all its funds, a court heard yesterday.

Bradford computer boffin Richard Godward, 35, had been doing the voluntary job with Appleby Scout Group, in Cumbria, for just one month before he started taking the money in a desperate attempt to solve his own financial problems, the court was told.

By the time he had finished he had taken around £3,600 and reduced the group's once-healthy bank balance to almost zero.

Godward, who now lives in Fenby Gardens, Dudley Hill, Bradford, was sent to prison for seven months after pleading guilty to stealing the money during the eight months he was treasurer of the Scout group. He admitted seven charges of theft and one of trying to cash a forged cheque and asked for seven other offences to be taken into consideration.

Prosecutor Dick Binstead told the court Godward, who was working at the Center Parcs holiday village near Penrith at the time, helped himself to money the boys raised through fund-raising ventures, including bag-packing at a supermarket.

Godward was only caught when another member of the Scouts' committee started wondering why it suddenly had so little money in the bank.

When interviewed, he told police he had been "reluctant" to become the group's treasurer in the first place, but accepted the post as he thought its disciplines would help him sort out his own finances.

He said he had originally intended only to borrow the money to help alleviate his problems, but it had reached the stage where he was unable to pay it back.

In mitigation, defence barrister Rod Halligan said Godward had made no attempt to cover up what he was doing.

"He was bound to be found out," he said.

He said that if he was spared prison Godward, a senior technician with a Bradford computer company, would repay what he had taken at £150 a week.

Godward's boss, Douglas Green, who owns Install Computers, told the court his £900-a-month employee was "an excellent worker" who impressed all his customers.

But if he was jailed he would lose his job as the firm could not cover his absence.

Judge Paul Batty QC said it was hard to understand why Godward had got involved in "such incredibly mean and despicable activity".

He told him: "The Appleby Scout Group is a registered charity and it does fine work in the local community. They trusted you and you repaid that trust by stealing their money."

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