Charity boss plundered £150,000

A Dorset charity boss who admitted stealing £150,000 donated for disabled children and adults has been warned by a judge that he faces jail. Over three years, John Cunningham , now of Ferndown, took Dorset Scope's money by cashing cheques and creating false invoices to cover his tracks.

Cunningham's lavish lifestyle included a rented Sandbanks flat and fast cars. But in January 2007, he turned himself into police. The 35-year-old was bailed and will be sentenced in March. Bournemouth Crown Court heard the charity's former financial director told colleagues he had business interests elsewhere to explain his extravagant lifestyle.

He owned a Lexus sports car, a Mitsubishi Jeep, a Harley-Davidson, a BMW motorbike and took flying lessons.

Det Con Michael Garrett, from Dorset Police, said: "Other people have described him as a bit of a Walter Mitty because of this dual lifestyle. He was working as the financial director and had overall responsibility for the accounts. He presented himself as a respectable businessman but in reality he was just a callous thief. To break so many people's trust and take money away from a charity is fairly low."

Det Con Garrett , who was on duty at Poole police station when Cunningham handed himself in, added that he began his "dual lifestyle" after splitting up with his wife and as a signatory was able to cash cheques at the charity's bank and pocket the money. "He said he had been plucking up the courage all night to hand himself in that Sunday morning."