A 43-year-old woman has been handed a prison sentence of two years and 11 months for plundering more than £80,000 from a grassroots football club she was supposed to protect.
Hannah Buckingham, of Feltham, was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on Friday, 23 January after admitting three serious offences:
- Fraud by abuse of position,
- Creating or supplying articles for fraud, and
- Possessing class A drugs with intent to supply
Buckingham assumed the crucial role of treasurer at Esher Football Club in December 2018.
She controlled the bank accounts, collected player subscriptions and match fees, handled all outgoing payments, and was tasked with securing grants and loans to keep the club running smoothly.
She resigned in July 2022 and almost immediately, the new treasurer raised the alarm that the club’s savings had virtually disappeared and numerous invoices – including essential ones – remained unpaid.
Repeated attempts to obtain records and explanations from Buckingham were met with evasion, vague excuses, and promises of documents that never materialised properly.
Eventually she produced misleading paperwork designed to conceal the true destination of the funds.
Once the genuine financial records were scrutinised, the scale of the theft became clear, that being tens of thousands of pounds had vanished.
The club reported the matter to Action Fraud, which passed the case to Surrey Police.
Detailed forensic accounting later confirmed that Buckingham had quietly moved over £86,000 into her personal accounts.
Among the stolen money was a significant portion of a Government-backed Bounce Back Loan the club had obtained during the COVID-19 pandemic to survive the shutdowns and keep youth football alive.
Police arrested her in July 2023. During the search of her home, officers discovered digital scales, a quantity of cash, and two packages of white powder that tested positive for cocaine.
In custody, Buckingham confessed to diverting the club’s money for her own use and accepted responsibility for the fraud.
Detective Constable Michael Bambrough of Surrey Police said:
“This was far from a victimless crime. The money should have been used to benefit a vital community asset and several hundred young people. Sadly, these benefits could not become to fruition.
“Thanks to the people who raised concerns about her activity, Buckingham has now faced justice and will serve a period of time behind bars to reflect on her behaviour.”
has now been held accountable and will spend time in custody considering the consequences of her betrayal.”
