A treasurer who abused his position to steal nearly £80,000 from church funds has been jailed for more than two years.

Paul King stole £76,382 from St Stephen’s Church in Lindley over a period of around two years up to April last year.

The 37-year-old started attending the Anglican church in 2010 and befriended the vicar Rev Rachel Firth before taking on the voluntary role of treasurer in 2014.

Leeds Crown Court heard that he made approximately one transfer per month to his bank account in deposits ranging from £130 to several thousand pounds.

The church funds were made up entirely of voluntary donations , many of which would have been from the elderly.

Paul King former treasurer of St Stephens Church, Lindley, appears at Kirklees Magistrates Court on fraud charges.

Leeds Crown Court heard that the defendant, who worked full time as a purchaser for Jet2, was taking time off work for anxiety and depression. The court also heard that his financial problems were affecting his marriage to his wife, who only worked part-time.

The dad-of-two used the money to pay bills and buy his two children clothes and said he thought he would be able to pay the money back.

His fraud was discovered by volunteer secretary Karen Frank and when interviewed by police he admitted the theft but said that he would not use his depression as an excuse for his wrongdoing.

King, who was described in court as ‘vulnerable’ due to his mental health issues, was born in West Bromwich in the West Midlands and had moved to Huddersfield when he was 18 to study politics at the University of Huddersfield.

He quit work due to his mental health issues in March 2017.

The court heard that his wife has since filed for divorce. He moved out of the family home to a one-bedroom council flat at Buckden Court in Quarmby and he now has limited contact with his children.

St. Stephen's Church, Lindley. Photo: Julian Hughes

King, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by abuse of position when he appeared at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court on December 8.

After the hearing, he told the Examiner he had promised the church he would pay the money back - but no payment plan was mentioned in court.

Barrister David McGonagle, defending, said: “He accepts that his actions were stupid, foolish and selfish.

“His intention was to pay the money back and things went out of control, resulting in this large fraud taking place. He has suffered a moral and mental breakdown.”

Sentencing him to 30 months’ imprisonment, Judge Simon Phillips QC described his actions as “systematic and extensive dishonesty” and a “gross breach of trust.”

As King left the dock, he waved to two female family members in the public gallery, one of whom had burst into tears.