Former Telford pub landlady stole nearly £3k from Macmillan fundraiser held for woman with breast cancer
A Telford pub landlady stole nearly £3,000 from a Macmillan fundraiser organised to support a local woman with breast cancer.
Sarah Josey, 45, of Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court after pleading guilty to one charge of theft.
The court heard that Josey had failed to hand over £2,763.17 raised for the Macmillan cancer support charity, "completely deceiving" the organisers and those who donated.
The offences were committed in 2022 when Josey was the landlady of the Coalport Tavern in Telford. She was evicted from the pub in 2023 and it has been under new management for some time since.
Mr Potts, prosecuting, told the court that Carole Chambers had approached Josey to see if the pub would host a fundraiser after her sister, Janet Jarvis, was diagnosed with breast cancer.
The court heard that Josey agreed.
In the run-up to the event Mrs Chambers sold around £750 of raffle tickets, while the brewery which owned the pub provided £600 for catering. Friends and work colleagues also raised funds.
For the event itself the pub was decked out in Macmillan branding, a man had his chest waxed during the evening and a DJ performed, along with a singer.
Around 200 people turned out for what, on the face of it, seemed an extremely successful charity fundraiser.
Following the fundraising Mrs Chambers asked Josey if the money was safe and was told it was being kept in a safe at the pub.
Mr Potts told the court that Josey eventually placed a certificate in the pub "designed to look like it was from Macmillan", offering thanks for the £2,763.17.
The court heard that after Josey had left the pub Mrs Chambers had visited the premises where she saw that the seal had been broken on the Macmillan collection containers - raising fears the money had not been handed over.
