County Derry man who defrauded National Autistic Society sentenced

A man who stole almost £30,000 from the National Autistic Society has been given probation and community service at Derry Crown Court. 

Timothy Glenn, 49, from Miller's Close in Claudy who had been a manager with the National Autistic Society who was dismissed from his position with the charity following an external audit which revealed that he'd taken £29,800 from the charity to fund his gambling lifestyle and gambling debts.

In imposing the sentence at the Crown Court in Derry Judge Roseanne McCormick KC told the fraudster that if he failed to complete the community service order and the terms of the probation order in full, he faced being jailed for twelve months.

Glenn, who has repaid the amount in full to the N.A.S., pleaded guilty to a single charge  that on dates between September 21, 2014 and September 7, 2021, while occupying a position in which he was expected to safeguard the financial interests of the N.A.S., he dishonestly abused that trust by using a corporate credit card for personal spending.

Judge McCormick said that Glenn, who currently has a new job working within the learning disability community and who received numerous character references in terms of his voluntary work, started working with the charity in 2008. 

Following a promotion to a middle management post within the N.A.S. he was given a corporate credit card for work related spending.

However after becoming addicted to gambling and having accumulated significant gambling debts, he used the credit card for personal spending reasons in order to hide his gambling debts from his family. 

His offending was uncovered following an external audit by the charity in 2021 and following his arrest by the police Glenn made full and frank admissions. He was then sacked by the N.A.S.

Judge McCormick said Glenn's criminality was inevitably going to be detected following the audit and said she accepted a submission by defence barrister Dean Mooney that Glenn's repayment of the money he'd stolen "was not just a matter of restitution but also a significant step in his rehabilitation process which includes his engagement with Gamblers Anonymous."

Judge McCormick said Glenn's offending included multiple fraudulent transactions "brought about by his descent into gambling addiction". 

There was, she said, no evidence of high living from his fraudulent criminality and with the assistance and support of family members and friends he had repaid the money to his former employer. 

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She said Glenn's offending however made it more difficult for charities to receive donations and also deflated those working for charitable organisations.

In sentencing Glenn she said she took into consideration his immediate guilty plea, the fact that he'd repaid the money, the content of numerous character references and his continuing voluntary community work.

Glenn was been placed on probation for two years and ordered to complete one hundred hours of community service.